An bad omen appears to be hanging over the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Just days after Ja Morant’s season-ending arm injury, Marcus Smart suffered a hand injury that will keep him out for six weeks. The team was already without Steven Adams, who was lost for the season due to right knee surgery, and Brandon Clarke, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon repair.
How could things get worse? Here’s how: On Friday night, in the first game of a three-game homestand against the Los Angeles Clippers, star forward Desmond Bane went down with a left ankle sprain. The severity of the injury is not yet known. The Clippers went on to win, 128-119. Fans are now calling this the “Season from hell,” and it appears they are correct.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had an interesting way of describing the gut-wrenching injuries. “It’s unique,” he said. “But we have to look past that. Our guys have been unbelievable through all of this. I always talk about the spirit and how they just continue to fight.”
“Our circumstances are pretty heavy right now for sure,” Jenkins added. “But the attitude has been phenomenal. We’re going to go out there. We’re going to lay it on the line every single day.”
Jenkins concluded: “I love how that group that finished the game came in and took advantage of the opportunity. Obviously, you absolutely wish the circumstances were different, but our guys have been fully together throughout this. They keep fighting. We’re going to need more of that and to keep doubling down on that because that’s how we’re built.”
Depending on what we learn about Bane’s injury, it appears that Jaren Jackson Jr. will be the only regular starter left in the rotation. As the offensive focal point and the player defenses will work hardest to contain, Jackson Jr. will be under intense pressure.
After the game he said, “I gotta be way better, because I was just jacking at this point. I gotta see the open man, I gotta pass the ball, because that’s what’s gonna get everybody going. I think our best run was in the fourth quarter, when I was out of the game. That was just because everybody was feeding off energy. If I’m coming down, bringing it up seeing three and doing what I was doing, we’re not going to win doing that. It’s just up to me to be a little bit better of a decision maker.”
Should Memphis sit Jackson Jr. for the rest of the season to try to prevent injury? There are 44 games left in the Grizzlies regular season. I think the Grizzlies should put a limit on his minutes, if the organization believes the season is essentially over.
Whatever is decided, Memphis has to regroup quickly. The New York Knicks are in town Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back at FedExForum at 7 pm CT.
