Ja Morant Expected to Suit Up for Grizzlies’ Season Opener
ja-morant-expected-for-grizzlies-opener
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is on track to play in Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans after sitting out the entire preseason with a sprained left ankle, head coach Tuomas Iisalo said Monday.
“Ja is progressing really well,” Iisalo told reporters after practice, adding that the two-time All-Star is “expected to make a return on opening night.”
Morant, 26, injured the ankle during an Oct. 5 practice and was initially labeled week-to-week. A return on Wednesday would mark roughly two and a half weeks of recovery.
The guard appeared in only nine games during the 2023-24 campaign, missing the first 25 contests because of a league suspension before undergoing season-ending surgery in January 2024 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He played 50 games the previous season while dealing with multiple injuries, including recurring shoulder issues.
Memphis enters the new season thin in the backcourt. Scotty Pippen Jr. is expected to miss at least 12 weeks following toe surgery, and Ty Jerome will be sidelined a minimum of four weeks with a right calf strain.
Iisalo also provided an update on fourth-year wing Vince Williams Jr. The 23-year-old, limited to 27 games last season and slowed by injuries during the preseason, is managing persistent heel soreness that the team continues to monitor.
Source: Hoops Rumors
