The Memphis Grizzlies’s tough 2023-24 National Basketball Association season is continuing. Not only are the Grizzlies the third worst team in the Western Conference at 13 wins and 23 losses (the two teams worse are the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 wins and 25 losses and San Antonio Spurs at five wins and 30 losses), but now news has emerged that the Grizzlies will be without their star point guard Ja Morant of Dalzell, South Carolina for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
The injury occurred during a Saturday training session. After a MRI, it was determined that Morant tore his labrum and that surgery was required.
Morant was suspended the first 25 games of the 2023-24 NBA regular season because of a Instagram Live stream recording that showed him with a gun in a Memphis vehicle. Then when Morant returned to the court, he had instant success. The two-time All-Star made a five-foot buzzer beater in a 115-113 upset win over the New Orleans Pelicans on December 19.
In nine games this season, Morant averaged 25.1 points per game, 8.1 assists per game, and 5.6 rebounds per game. He also had a field goal percentage of .471, free throw percentage of .813, and a three-point percentage of .275.
Due to the fact the Grizzlies only won six of 25 games before Morant was hurt, (and had a record of six wins and three losses this season when Morant was in the lineup), just goes to show how valuable he was for Memphis.
Seven times this season without Morant, the Grizzlies have lost 20 points or more. In fact, Memphis lost by 37 points, 142-105, to the Denver Nuggets on December 28 at Ball Arena.
