Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the start of the upcoming season after offseason surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot, but an orthopedics doctor tells Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal that Jackson should be back to normal once he completes the rehab process.
Dr. Kenneth Jung, who specializes in foot and ankle fractures, notes that overuse is the most common cause of stress fractures. The broken bone normally takes six to eight weeks to fully heal, though Jung says it can sometimes be as long as three months. The Grizzlies expect Jackson to be sidelined for four to six months, which would have him ready to play sometime between November and January.
“Obviously once the bone heals, whether it takes two months or three months, then you’re starting to work back into basketball shape,” Jung explained. “That’s why they may have given themselves a little leeway, whether it’s four months or six months. He’s got to get built back up to be able to play an entire season. The other part is his body will de-condition somewhat while he’s letting the bone heal. You’re going to need some time to build that back up to get back onto the court.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan has decided to bypass an opportunity to play for Poland in the EuroBasket tournament, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Sochan, who didn’t play during Summer League after being placed in health and safety protocols, will focus on getting ready for his NBA debut. “After long discussions with the San Antonio Spurs, my agent and family, we decided that I should stay in San Antonio and continue preparing for my first season in the NBA, the most important and longest season of my career so far,” Sochan said in a statement released by the Polish Basketball Association.
- Rockets coach Stephen Silas shouldn’t have any concerns about job security heading into his third NBA season, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. Houston has posted the league’s worst record the past two years, but management still has faith in Silas to oversee the rebuilding process and was happy with the development of the team’s young players last season. Iko also notes that the front office allowed Silas free rein to build his coaching staff this summer.
- This could be a crucial season for Rockets big man Usman Garuba, Iko adds in the same piece. After injuries limited him to 24 games in his rookie season, a sprained left ankle prevented him from playing in Summer League. Garuba was a first-round pick last year and Houston would like to use him as a small-ball center off the bench, but he will have plenty of competition for that role.
Dr. Ken Jung? Didn’t he play Senor Chang on Community? #ElTigre #GritAndGrind
Was big on Garuba coming out of college/ should get some nice burn this year
Garuba was a pick that I wasn’t a fan of. I wanted the rockets to go for scoring/shooting and after they selected Seguin, who’s 3 point shot I do think will get better but still isn’t there yet, I didn’t understand taking another center who can’t shoot. All that said, I hope he shows why the rockets were high on him this year
I got a soft spot for energy guys who do the dirty work and can contribute outside of scoring. Seems everyone can score these days
Garuba is still young. I agree you need guys like him. He’s got the talent to be that glue guy. D and rebs plays for the team. I like the Rockets young guys.
The rockets don’t have a lot of guys who can get buckets, and when building out a roster, I think you can find guys who rebound and defend in free agency. Again though, my main concern with the pick at the time is that he’s not really able to be on the court while Seguin is out there, unless either or both become much better shooters. I’m rooting for garuba either way because if his offensive game does develop and he can stay healthy, then he can provide so good minutes off the bench
Well this guy must’ve been top of his class…
Jaren needs to have a big yr. Morant needs help if Grizz are going to move up. I’m a big fan of your best players. Being a big and a guard. I think you can create easier chemistry that way. Old school …… just like the pick-roll. Can’t stop it.