MEMPHIS – As the Grizzlies work to resolve some early season struggles, the focus now shifts to addressing a critical shortage of backcourt depth.
The team announced Monday that star point guard Ja Morant will miss the next two weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 right calf strain. Morant suffered the injury after he played just six minutes in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss in Cleveland to the Cavaliers.
Morant underwent an MRI after the team’s brief return to Memphis from last week’s three-game trip, and the team’s timeline would have the two-time NBA All Star reevaluated on Dec. 1.
The Grizzlies will be without Morant when they face the Spurs in San Antonio on Tuesday, which would be the first of potentially seven games he will miss based on the initial injury timeline.
The calf issue comes as the Grizzlies (4-10) have already lost eight of their past nine games and were dealing with limited depth at the guard spots. Free-agent acquisition Ty Jerome (calf) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) have yet to play this season, and rookie second-round pick Javon Small will be sidelined three weeks while also coping with a toe injury.
Although Morant has been mired in a career-worst shooting slump early this season, he had led the Grizzlies in both scoring at 17.9 points and 7.6 assists as the lone available point guard.
“We’re going to have to find other ways of advantage creation with other players, because Ja obviously plays a huge part in that,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said after Monday’s practice at FedExForum. “We’re going to have to rely on the team’s reactions, everybody doing their part and finding ways to score in the halfcourt and in transition now that we’ll have bigger guards.”
Iisalo wouldn’t reveal what his primary backcourt rotation would be for Tuesday’s game. However, the Grizzlies started combo guard Vince Williams Jr. at the point when Morant sat out of last Wednesday’s game in Boston with ankle soreness. Memphis made another lineup tweak entering Saturday’s game in Cleveland, where rookie lottery pick Cedric Coward joined the starting lineup and center Zach Edey made his season debut coming off summer ankle surgery.
With Iisalo hinting at using bigger wings in the backcourt amid Morant’s absence, it’s likely that the 6-foot-6 Coward could start alongside Williams Jr., who is also 6-6. Other options could include reinserting 6-5 veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope back into the starting unit or digging deeper into the bench to promote Cam Spencer or John Konchar.
The Grizzlies on Sunday also made a minor roster move to address the shortage of guard depth. Rookie second-round pick Jahmai Mashack was signed to a two-way deal that allows the combo guard to spend time with the Grizzlies and the G League’s Memphis Hustle this season.
Mashack practiced with the team Monday and spent extra time in an extended scrimmage workout under Iisalo’s watch to get up to speed with the Grizzlies’ system. Mashack, the No. 59 and final pick of last summer’s NBA Draft, averaged nine points, 4.4 assists, four rebounds, two steals and 1.2 blocks during five summer league games with the Grizzlies.
“It’s exciting that you get thrown into the fire, but it’s kind of what I’ve been dealing with my whole life – having to do the unexpected,” Mashack said. “Obviously, there’s a learning curve, because these guys have been here and I’m coming in on a different type of rhythm. I think I’m learning fast and adjusting coming in. I know what my calling card is and why I’m here.”
The Grizzlies are desperately working to address some of the miscues that have hindered the offense in recent games. In Cleveland on Saturday, the Grizzlies led 32-28 after the first quarter and carried an eight-point advantage in the fourth. But their scoring output dipped each period.
Memphis committed seven turnovers in the fourth quarter and scored just 16 points in the final 12 minutes as the Cavaliers rallied for a 108-100 win. In the previous game at Boston, the Grizzlies struggled to get organized as the Celtics blew the game open by scoring 34 points off 22 Memphis turnovers.
Another challenge has been managing the rotation of available players. Iisalo acknowledged Monday that both Edey and Coward are on minutes restrictions, which factored in the two players being capped at around 25 minutes on Saturday.
The 7-foot-4 Edey finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes in his first game after June ankle surgery. Coward was initially listed as doubtful with foot soreness entering Saturday’s game but progressed through treatment in order to play.
“It’s a challenging situation, because both guys have done a great job for us, we like to play them a lot and both are starting for us,” Iisalo pointed out. “But at the same time, we have to be smart because their future is also very important for us. So, we’re making sure we make good decisions right here, especially with those two guys.”
Coward knows the delicate situation the Grizzlies are in but also sees how close the team is to a much-needed breakthrough in the midst of a difficult stretch.
“We got Zach back, but unfortunately (Morant) went down and we already got Ty and Scotty down,” Coward said. “We’re missing very important pieces, but at the same time guys are stepping up. And we’re right there. If a few plays just go our way … .”
The team is expected to soon update the progress of Jerome, who suffered a calf strain Oct. 17 against the Heat in the preseason finale. At the time, the Grizzlies announced Jerome would be reevaluated in four weeks – with Monday being exactly a month since the injury occurred.
Coincidently, the Spurs are also managing a calf issue impacting their star player. Sensational center Victor Wembanyama sat out of Sunday’s home win over Sacramento with calf tightness, and his status for Tuesday’s visit from the Grizzlies has yet to be determined.
For now, the Grizzlies enter the week burdened by the mounting concerns at the guard spot yet also looking to build on positive frontcourt developments sparked by Edey’s return.
“Definitely felt good,” Edey expressed. “Just getting out there, having that feel, knowing that coach trusts me to play the way I like to play, it just helps me so much. We’ll just look to all build on this together as a team.”