A lot of teams have to get used to playing without their big stars. When the Denver Nuggets played the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, it was a blowout by the latter (105-90). Both the teams were without their stars. The Nuggets were also severely shorthanded. But the same could be true for tonight as well. Everyone wants Ja Morant to be back, and his tweet gives us confidence. The 6-foot-2 point guard had teased his own return on X, with a message of hope that read, “Sooner than you think. Source: me.”

But Ja won’t be playing tonight against the Nuggets. Taylor Jenkins provided an update saying his imaging turned out “really good” but he’s still in the week-to-week category. A rough fall against the Lakers has kept him out for five games.

The injury? A posterior hip subluxation paired with pelvic muscle strains (Grade 1). It’s one of those setbacks that makes you wince just thinking about it. You hate to see a player sidelined like this, especially when it all stemmed from one bad moment on the court.

Even their star rookie, Zach Edey will not be playing tonight, as he’s also week-to-week with his ankle injury that he suffered last game and had to leave mid-way. It was a foul by Draymond Green which according to analysts could have ended Edey’s season.

During an NBA Cup game, Green committed a questionable foul on Edey in the third quarter. After falling on his own during a drive to the basket, he seemed to grab Edey’s ankle and pull him down. The Grizzlies star, standing at 7-foot-4 and weighing 305 pounds, could have suffered a serious Achilles injury. With player safety in mind, the NBA might look into suspending Green for his actions, again! It was first called a common foul but later upgraded to a Flagrant 1. Analyst, Kendrick Perkins, strongly believes he should be suspended.

Will the Grizzlies repeat what happened on Sunday once again without Ja Morant?

Marcus Smart’s status for tonight’s matchup against the Nuggets is questionable as he deals with an illness. This could mark his 2nd consecutive absence, adding to his recent struggles to stay healthy. He just returned after a 2-week absence due to an ankle injury, but now he’s facing another setback. Even if he’s cleared to play, there’s a good chance he’ll come off the bench. It’s tough to see a veteran like Smart battling to stay on the court lately.

GG Jackson II hopes to make it back by late December, but the medical staff is approaching his recovery with caution. Realistically, his return will likely happen in January. After an impressive rookie year with the injury-hit Grizzlies, the second-round pick entered year 2 with big expectations. Unfortunately, a summer workout ended in a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot, derailing those plans. It’s tough not to feel for the guy, especially after such a promising start to his career. He is out for the matchup.

Cam Spencer picked up what seemed like a minor ankle sprain during the Las Vegas Summer League. But when training camp began, he was still involved in a limited capacity and never managed to suit up for any preseason games. Needless to say, he’s out as well.

The Grizzlies have just defeated the Nuggets and will be looking to do the same tonight. They’ll be looking not to make any major changes, but if Marcus Smart’s playing that could change things. Zach Edey is averaging 11.1 points and almost 7 rebounds so far. He’ll be hard to replace. Who could benefit from this? Maybe, Jay Huff will see an increase in his minutes.

So will the Grizzlies defeat a Nuggets team without Nikola Jokic once again?