Like a certain demi-god climbing back into Olympus with the lightning bolt tucked under his arm, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have somehow landed back in the playoffs. And if we’re being honest, nobody saw this coming back in October. This wasn’t some smooth cruise into the postseason. Nah, the Grizz kicked in the back door, stomped on the welcome mat, and said “we’re here” after frying the Mavericks 120-106 in the Play-In. Sloppy? Yup. Chaotic? Always. But that’s kind of a Memphis thing.

And now? They get the No. 1 seed—Oklahoma City. The Thunder have been that team all year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s been out here hooping like he has a personal vendetta against mediocrity. Jalen Williams skipped the sophomore slump and went straight to ‘Oh snap, is he an All-Star?’ And the rest of the roster? Feels like Sam Presti built it in a lab using rookie contracts and vibes. Just to twist the knife a little—OKC cooked Memphis 4–0 in the regular season. All blowouts. No close ones. Like, ‘turn the game off in the third’ energy.

But hold up—Memphis still has that fight in ‘em. Say what you want about their Chaos record, the stats don’t lie. Sixth in Offensive Rating (117.2), 11th in Defensive Rating (112.6), and a 4.7 Net Rating that also ranks 6th. That’s real. When the engine runs clean, this squad can ball. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s out here sending shots to the fifth row, Desmond Bane’s pulling up like he’s got Wi-Fi signal from anywhere inside the half-court line, and the system still clicks when Ja’s at the wheel.

Now, about that wheel—aka Ja’s right ankle. He tweaked it against the Warriors in the Play-In. Most guys would’ve shut it down, iced it up, and started looking for podcasts to guest on. Ja? Laced it up, dropped 22 on Dallas, and moved as he was playing through a “questionable” tag on 2K.

But with Game 1 on deck, folks are asking one thing: Is Ja Morant actually playing tonight?

Grizzlies Injury Report: Ja Morant’s Walking Status Questionable

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Ja’s dealing with “significant soreness and swelling” in that right ankle he rolled against the Warriors. But he’s determined to suit up tonight. Classic Ja. The man already dropped 22 on Dallas basically held together by tape and pure stubbornness. You think a little swelling’s gonna keep him out of a playoff game? Please.

As for the rest of the squad, GG Jackson is out due to personal reasons, and Jaylen Wells and Brandon Clarke remain sidelined long-term. Other than that? The Grizzlies are rolling in with who they’ve got. Not full strength, but enough to throw a punch.

Now, while Ja’s ankle might be yelling, his kicks are out here doing the talking. Morant just revealed the Nike Ja 3s, and they’re loud—like, “walk in and steal the spotlight” loud. The shoe features a “scratch” design that’s been with his line since day one, but this time it’s the star of the show. The Swoosh is flipped and slapped mid-midsole, bold as ever. Honestly, they look like what happens when a grizzly bear cosplays as a fashion designer. And they’ll probably drop 20 before you even realize they’re on-court legal.

So yeah, even if he’s limping into Game 1, at least he’s doing it in straight-up certified fire.

Now the real question: outside of Ja, who’s getting the green light tonight—and who’s getting thrown into the deep end? Let’s talk about the Grizzlies’ depth chart.

Depth Chart Going Against the Oklahoma City Thunder

Alright, so Ja’s dealing with an ankle that sounds like it’s screaming for mercy, but Memphis still has a decent squad around him. With the Grizzlies going up against the top dog in the Thunder, you gotta wonder—who’s backing up the stars and who’s coming in when things get messy? Let’s break down the depth chart and see who’s got the green light to step up, or if we’re about to see some surprising moves.

With Ja’s ankle issue and GG Jackson being out, Memphis is gonna need all hands on deck to take on the Thunder. The key players will obviously be Ja, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., but the depth, particularly guys like Kennard, Konchar, and Aldama, could be the difference between a surprise win or a quick exit. If the Grizzlies can pull it together and get solid contributions from their role players, this series might be more interesting than some expect. Keep your eyes on that depth chart—because in the playoffs, it’s all about next man up.