The Memphis fans finally have a happy scoop of information after the injury scare. Ja Morant, who had a pretty awful time during the 2023-24 season, dealing with suspension and injury, finally made a return to the court. The star guard was in his usual athletic rhythm, dropping 13 points with 4 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks in the preseason opener. Unfortunately, it was short-lived, as he suffered an unexpected ankle twist, forcing him to stay off the court, coming back, and then dropping out again.

While everyone expected the 25-year-old to miss a few more games before he returns, there was a positive update. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who reported the star’s ankle twist, gave a crucial update. According to him, Morant said, “I’m good. It’s preseason, man,” addressing his abrupt exit from tonight’s game. While it sounded like a grim day for the Memphis Grizzlies‘ family, they certainly had an impressive start. Especially with Ja Morant, who seemed to have saved up his energy for this very day.

The star guard kept the crowd on their feet with multiple brilliant plays. Particularly the one with the rookie, Zach Edey. Ja Morant seemed pumped about his pair-up with the rookie right from the moment the Grizzlies drafted him. We also came across multiple videos of the duo, working on their chemistry in the off-season. Well, they dropped a teaser tonight!

Gaining traction with his off-ball movement, Ja received a well-crafted pass from Marcus Smart. With the pass, the guard rushed to the rim, attracting two defenders. And boom, he deceived them with his layup attempt and instead dished out a high arch pass to Zach Edey above Daniel Gafford. The 7 ‘4 rookie ran up the lane for a flush, leaving the crowd mesmerized.

However, fans couldn’t witness more of it because Ja Morant twisted his ankle. The hooper was tracking back in a two-on-one defensive situation, not in favor of the Grizzlies. Naji Marshall attempted a bounce pass, which hit the hooper on his foot, causing him to land awkwardly. He limped off to the locker room and was back later in the quarter. However, he asked to get subbed off again early in the 3rd quarter after a two-hand dunk, sparking an unpleasant déjà vu among the onlookers.

Did Ja Morant’s injury summon the Grizzlies injury curse, again?

It wasn’t just Ja Morant, who had had an uneventful period in the previous season. In short, it was the entire franchise. To give some perspective, the Grizzlies utilized 33 players last season, the most players used by a franchise in NBA history. Above all, the team came up with 51 different starting lineups, which is also a record.

Starting from Ja Morant, the team lost Desmond Bane, Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart, Jaren Jackson Jr., and several others to injury throughout the season. Morant, who missed 25 games because of a suspension, suffered a shoulder injury, only 9 games after his return. So, it’s safe to say that fans patiently waited for the 2024 off-season to end, so that they can have a healthy team once again.

Moreover, it wasn’t just fans, Ja Morant also had a similar emotion, as he waited for the new season. Speaking of his setbacks, the star said, “Obviously I wanna be out there every game so, now my main focus is to be able to do that. Recovery has pretty much been the biggest thing for me, obviously this off-season.” However, even before the regular season, fans already have three injury updates.

While Jaren Jackson Jr. sustained a hamstring strain ahead of the preseason, Vince Williams Jr. will miss at least a month with a tibia injury. So, the only question is, will the Grizzlies go through another season filled with injury mishaps? Only time will tell!

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.