Grizzlies forward GG Jackson underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, the team announced (via Twitter). The procedure had been expected after the club confirmed the injury last week.
According to the Grizzlies, Jackson will be reevaluated in approximately three months, which means he’s expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season.
There’s also no guarantee that the 19-year-old will be ready to return at the time of the reevaluation, so it’s possible his absence will extend beyond that.
The timeline doesn’t come as a real surprise, given the nature of the injury. Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes (Twitter link) recently noted that players who have suffered similar injuries missed an average of about 42 games, which works out to roughly three months of the season. As Stotts observes, metatarsal injuries can occur in various ways and in various locations, so recovery times differ from case to case.
It’s an unfortunate setback for the Grizzlies and for Jackson, who enjoyed a promising rookie season after being selected with the 45th pick in the 2023 draft. The former South Carolina standout, who was the youngest player in the NBA last season, averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 25.7 minutes per game across 48 outings (18 starts), posting a shooting line of .428/.357/.752.
Even with several players returning from injuries this fall, Jackson figured to play a regular role in the Grizzlies’ frontcourt to open the season. Instead, he’ll get a late start and may have to fight to reclaim minutes once he’s healthy enough to get back on the court.
Jones Fracture.
It never says that and it most definitely isn’t. Jones fractures are 6 month recovery time-frames. Try again
Jobbins , I’m assuming you’re not an orthopedist or trainer?
There are 3 possible fractures of the 5th metatarsal: avulsion, midshaft, and Jones. With surgical repair, all 3 have similar recovery timelines/protocols. The critical consideration is that it’s the 5th metatarsal, and not which of the 3 kinds of fracture.
The Grizzlies chose not to mention which of the three types was Jackson’s, which is not uncommon. The Jones type is, by far, the most common with athletes (so, there is lots of data on recovery and recurrence available), with avulsion and midshaft procedures being relatively rare, so data is difficult to find.
Finally, the typical recovery time for a surgical procedure treating any of the 2 types is 3-4 months, not, as you say, 6. For NFL wide receivers, we typically see 3-4 months. For NBA players, it’s 4-5, with a long tail covering the 20% expected failure rate.
Hopper , yeah, you said the dirty words which the team won’t because it’s a 5th metatarsal needing surgery: it’s a Jones fracture, possibly the worst injury a basketball player can have because it has the highest rate of both, one, failure to return after initial operation (15%-20%) and recurrence of injury in the case of successful initial recovery (20%). The data indicates the length of rest and recovery from initial surgery correlates strongly with recurrence.
A single Jones fracture creates concern for the duration of the player’s NBA career. Other than with established players, a second Jones fracture typically ends an NBA career.
The fact that GG is being reevaluated in 3 months does not, as the article implies, indicate a timeline for his return. For football and soccer, 3.5 to 4 months to full recovery is common, but for basketball players, especially bigs, 5 months is prudent, and 6 is ideal.
Up steps Jake LaRavia baby!