By Michael Wallace
Grind City Media
MEMPHIS– On the verge of coming back from a two-week absence while dealing with a hip injury, Grizzlies forward Vince Carter sorted through some conflicting thoughts in his mind.
“Subconsciously, I sort of, kind of didn’t want to come back and break up the flow, because we’d been playing great,” Carter said of working his way back into the rotation. “But I enjoy getting out there and competing with these guys and was working my butt off to try to get healthy. But it’s also being smart at the same time. I just wanted to get out there with my brothers and battle it out, win or lose.”
Carter admits his recovery remains a work in progress as he continues to regain conditioning heading into Wednesday’s return game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at FedExForum. The 19-year veteran played 18 minutes off the bench and had a team-high four assists, three points and two rebounds in Tuesday’s 103-86 loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
It was Carter’s first action since he landed awkwardly in the fourth quarter of a Nov. 28 home loss to Charlotte. The Grizzlies (17-9) also lost scoring and assists leader Mike Conley in the second half of that game when he fractured his lower back on a fall and collision in the lane. Memphis had won six of its next seven games, including an improbable, 21-point blowout of Golden State on Saturday, before Tuesday’s loss in Cleveland to open a back-to-back set against the defending champions.
The Grizzlies have coped with injuries all season, but Carter’s return was an encouraging lift for a roster that had been down to just nine available players for a recent, three-game stretch. The NBA granted Memphis a hardship waiver to add a 16th roster spot that was used to sign veteran combo guard Toney Douglas, but his 10-day stint under the special exemption expires after Wednesday’s game.
“I hated coming back out there and losing the game, but it was great to go out and give us another body,” said Carter, who missed three of his four shots Tuesday. “It was a tough night for us, and we didn’t come with the energy and effort we normally give. But we fought in the second half, and that gives us something positive to roll into (Wednesday) for the second game.”
Carter said he will gradually work his way into game shape, but the process still includes plenty of pregame and postgame work with the training staff. The injury is a combination of a hip flexor, strain and inflammation that requires a mixture of stretching, stimulation, heating and ice treatment. Carter, who turns 40 next month as the NBA’s oldest active player, said communication is also key.
“It was all of the above,” Carter said. “It was convincing your mind first, and then convincing the staff. With all the past injuries that we’ve had, it was me being honest with myself and then being honest with them. It was kind of step by step (and) I started feeling better and better. I’ve been trying to get here earlier to get on the court so (trainers) could see me kind of pass the tests.”
There will be some level of discomfort Carter believes he’ll have to deal with for a while moving forward, but has progressed to the point where he “can’t do any more damage” to the hip. Before the injury, Carter was having his best stretch since he joined the Grizzlies two seasons ago. He’s averaging 8.9 points and 3.8 rebounds off the bench and is one of the team’s top perimeter defenders.
“Right now, it’s just pain tolerance,” Carter said. “You’re not going to be 100-percent healed unless I sit out for – but I’m not going to do that.”
HEALTH REPORT
Grizzlies’ rookie center Deyonta Davis (foot) was scheduled for an MRI and further evaluation Wednesday after suffering a left foot injury late in Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers. Davis made all three of his shots and finished with six points and four rebounds in 11 impactful minutes before the injury. He also missed summer league and was limited in training camp by a plantar fascia injury in his left foot. The Grizzlies will also be without Conley (back), James Ennis (calf), Chandler Parsons (knee) and Brandan Wright (ankle). For the Cavaliers, coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday that LeBron James (rest), Kevin Love (back) and Kyrie Irving (legs) wouldn’t travel to Memphis and will skip Wednesday’s game. That Cavaliers’ ‘Big Three’ combine to average 70.6 points, 21 rebounds and 15.4 assists a game.
“I’ve been in this league 14 years, I shouldn’t have explain sitting out games,” James said after Tuesday’s game. “I’ve played every arena. I’ve paid my dues more than a lot of guys in this league. If this is what my coach wants me to do, I’ll do it.”
NUMBERS WATCH
6-0. The Cavaliers snapped the Grizzlies six-game winning streak on Tuesday night in Cleveland, but they can extend another six-game streak when the teams meet again Wednesday. Memphis is a league-best 6-0 in the second games of back-to-back sets this season, which, considering the injury absences and minutes’ management strategy in play, arguably constitutes the team’s most impressive streak this season. The Grizzlies are averaging 99.2 points in the second night of back-to-back sets and have outscored opponents by an average of 8.3 points in those contests.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Marc Gasol. Probably the only way to keep Gasol out of Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers was to essentially ban him from getting on the team’s chartered flight to Cleveland. Now, after getting a night off to rest, it will be intriguing to see how a slightly rejuvenated Gasol responds in Wednesday’s game against the shorthanded Cavaliers. It will be Big Spain’s first game since he was named Western Conference player of the week after averaging 27.3 points, 10 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field and 47.1 percent on threes. The Grizzlies have won six consecutive games with Gasol in the lineup, and his presence is more vital now with backup center Davis sidelined.
“It’s huge,” Grizzlies’ coach David Fizdale said of Gasol’s impact after Tuesday’s loss in Cleveland. “Obviously, a big part of what we do has to do with Marc and has to do with Mike. But still, that’s no excuse for our effort (without them).”
GRIZZ-TAKE
LeBron James, who did not travel for Wednesday’s game, on the Grizzlies’ season – They’ve been playing well – no matter who is in the lineup. They’re always going to play well. Coach Fiz(dale) has them playing the right way. It’s all about grit and gut and getting into the fight.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.