Grizzlies 2015 first-rounder Jarell Martin will be out indefinitely after fracturing his left foot today during a workout today, the team has announced (hat tip to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who first reported the injury). He will undergo surgery on Thursday, and there is no timetable for Martin to make his return to basketball related activities. The 21-year-old was selected by Memphis with the No. 25 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
The loss of Martin for a prolonged period of time, while not ideal, shouldn’t negatively impact the Grizzlies’ playoff hopes this season, as he was not likely to be a major part of the team’s rotation this year. It will certainly set the big man’s development back a step or two, and if he is able to return to action during the 2015/16 campaign, he’ll likely require an extended stint in the D-League prior to being able to bang around in the paint area with NBA-caliber players.
Martin made 33 appearances for the LSU Tigers during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 16.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.1 minutes, with a slash line of .509/.269/.690. His career collegiate averages were 13.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 1.4 APG.
This is not going to be a major issue for this season, but the Grizzlies will eventually have to develop some younger contributors. Everyone still on the team who was in the rotation for them last year will be at least 28 years old by the time the season starts.
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