The avalanche of bad news for the Memphis Grizzlies will not stop.
Amid the departure of superstar point guard Ja Morant and a season-ending Achilles injury sustained by backup forward Brandon Clark, the Grizzlies announced Thursday that starting center Steven Adams will need at least another four weeks to recover from the injury. stem cell injection into his injured right knee. Adams hasn’t played since flexing his PCL against the Phoenix Suns on January 22.
The Grizzlies are 7-11 in Adams’s absence, dropping to third in the Western Conference (by tiebreak) and two games since the fourth seed. What was the best defense in the NBA and the top 10 offense, respectively, was the fifth-best-rated and fourth-best-rated squad in the last six weeks without Adams.
Memphis recently found its footing, winning six of eight games in a three-week stretch, averaging 14 points as Morant’s season waned. Next league investigation to allegations that Morant and his camp threatened members of the Indiana Pacers, This was reported by the Washington Post. Last week, police questioned him over the summer about separate allegations of threatening a mall security guard and a teenager. This past weekend, Morant brandished what appeared to be a gun at a strip club in Colorado on Instagram Live. An apology attributed to Morant on Saturday read: “I’m going to be taking a leave of absence to get help and work on learning better stress management techniques and my overall wellbeing.”
When the Glendale Colorado Police Department announced on Wednesday that they would not file charges against Morant due to lack of evidence, the Grizzlies announced that the 23-year-old would “continue to remain off the team for at least the next four games.” including Thursday’s nationally televised fight against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Memphis has 18 games left in the regular season.
The initial 3-5 week deadline for Adams’ injury eclipsed earlier this month ahead of Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. told reporters on Sunday that the return of the 7-foot car “could be at the end of this trip, but could potentially be a little longer.” He played 5 on 5 with his team.
In addition to Adams’ scoring that bordered on a late-night double-double, Memphis lacks the toughness that the center plays as a fullback, forward, and defensive back. Adams’ voice also carries weight in the Grizzlies locker room, where he indirectly chided Morant for his away behavior in a recent player-only meeting. according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Four more weeks before Adams would even be re-evaluated but ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. Clarke is also suspended, Morant’s short-term future is in doubt, and Dillon Brooks is teetering on suspension with every other technical foul. day hour.
Memphis and Sacramento each have a 38-26 record. None of them are likely to drop below fourth place, but no first-round series is a cakewalk in the West. Morant should definitely come back with a good reputation, but Adams’ health by the start of the playoffs could also mean the difference between a deep playoff run and an early exit.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
