Right at the moment that Ja Morant crashed with Pelicans center Daniel Theis, he pointed at his right shoulder. Only last year, the theatric guard required surgery to repair a labral tear on that shoulder. It cost him the entire season. Since then, even though foregoing of his innate hunt for a notorious dunk, injuries have been a rather regular occurrence.

The same happened tonight against New Orleans. Morant looked slated to have an exemplary night scoring 25 points in the first half. However, one rough screen has put his participation in doubt. The Grizzlies reported he is “doubtful” to return to the game.

And Ja Morant never returned to the game.

Although lacking, arguably, the best player on the night until his injury, the Grizzlies held out to secure a win. Morant only added one more point to his tally prior to picking up an injury. Regardless, he was still monumental in the result, but fans are deeply stressed about the extent of Morant’s injury.

Grizzlies fans pray for Ja Morant

Aside from Ja Morant failing to get back in the game, last year’s procedure on the right shoulder got the Grizzlies fans very concerned. With the franchise star having already missed 12 games this season, they fear the 25-year-old may have to be out for an extended time. “Prayers up,” a fan wrote sending his hope.

Ja Morant is yet to be assessed for the severity of the blow. However, given the team decided to check him out quickly, there is a chance the caution preventing any further damage. Still, nothing can be said for certain until the proper tests are conducted. If there is a chance to aggravate it, Morant could end up missing some time.

The chances of that possibility have frustrated the Memphis fanbase. Notably, they are directing their rage toward Daniel Theis, whose screen caused the injury to Morant. A fan mentioned, “Daniel Theis just made an enemy out of the most dangerous city in the country“. Likewise, the play was indeed called for an offensive foul.

As far as the team is concerned, they won’t mind giving Morant the time required to fully recover from the injury he may have sustained. In the 12 games he has missed, the franchise has an 8-4 record although they are yet to be tested against a top side without their franchise ace.

The looming fear, though, remains a long-term absence. Given how fragile a surgically repaired shoulder could be in such a short time since surgery, a hit has the potential to rough up the area. One fan, though, is assuming the worst. “That means he’s out for 5 weeks before being evaluated,” they wrote.

Ja Morant isn’t someone who takes an absence for a minor injury. His love for playing the game with high dexterity overrules tolerable pain. But in this case, the Memphis Grizzlies can’t afford to take much risk. If needed, Morant could miss a few games at least in order to manage the shoulder.

For many Grizzlies fans watching, the incident dropped their energy and excitement. Ja Morant provides the team with a unique spark with his explosiveness and elite in-game acumen. The news of him picking up an injury on the right shoulder reflected a common sentiment. One fan expanded on it saying, “day ruined”.

Luckily, it wasn’t all bad for the Memphis die-hards. The Grizzlies managed to scrape out a win, although it did become a closely contested game following Morant’s exit. Jaren Jackson Jr. took the plaudits for his mesmerizing performance, scoring a team-high 33 points to go with 4 steals and 3 blocks in the eight-point win against the Pelicans.