Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is expected to miss at last two weeks with a calf strain. The Grizzlies announced the news on Monday.
Morant suffered the injury during Saturday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He left midway through the first quarter with what the team designated then as calf soreness and didn’t return. Further diagnostics showed that he sustained a Grade 1 calf strain. He’ll be reevaluated in “approximately two weeks,” per the team.
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Another setback for Morant
The layoff for Morant is the latest in what’s been a tumultuous tenure with the Grizzlies. Most recently, Morant was suspended for a single game on Nov. 2 for what the Grizzlies deemed “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Ja Morant is expected to miss at least two weeks with a calf strain.
(Justin Ford via Getty Images)
Per reports, the Grizzlies suspended Morant because he responded to head coach Tuomas Iisalo in an inappropriate tone when Iisalo challenged him about his leadership and effort following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Iisalo is in his first full season as head coach after taking over in the interim when Memphis fired Taylor Jenkins late last season.
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Morant played in six of the seven Grizzlies games since returning from suspension. For the season he’s averaged 17.9 points, 7.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1 steal while shooting 35.9% from the field and 16.7% on 5 3-point attempts per game. His shooting percentages are career lows by a significant margin, and his scoring average is the lowest since his rookie season (17.8 ppg) and notably below his career average of 22.4 points per game.
The Grizzlies are off to a 4-10 start. Morant’s performance, apparent discord and long-term history of missed time, including multiple gun-related suspensions, have prompted chatter that Grizzlies should move on from the two-time All-Star.
Now he’s facing a lengthy layoff amid an already bad start to the season.