Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Ja Morant Ruled Out For Game 2

April 19th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ja Morant will miss tonight’s game due to lingering soreness in his right hand, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).

Morant hurt his hand when he crashed to the court after colliding with the Lakers‘ Anthony Davis on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 1. Morant had to leave the game, but X-rays on his hand were negative.

Morant had been listed as questionable for Game 2, and a report Tuesday night indicated that the Grizzlies were pessimistic about his availability. He told media members that he was feeling intense pain in the hand following the Game 1 loss.

The injury appears to be a reaggravation of a bruise that Morant suffered during the final week of the regular season.

The Lakers and Grizzlies don’t play again until Saturday, so Morant will have three more days to attempt to recover for Game 3.

Players Likely To Get Rookie Scale Max Extensions In 2023

April 19th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Rory Maher

The 2020 NBA draft was a strange one for a number of reasons. It wasn’t viewed as the strongest class by scouts and analysts, and there was no consensus top overall pick. The COVID-19 pandemic also (understandably) made it much more difficult for teams to scout and interview players due to travel restrictions.

Rookies from the class were also negatively impacted, as they were drafted in November and the 2020/21 season started one month later, with shortened training camps. Normally rookies have up to four months to spend with their new teams, including summer league and full training camps. The truncated offseason put all players behind the curve, but the ones without NBA experience were hit hardest.

It’s fair to say the 2020 class has been relatively disappointing overall to this point, especially some of the players drafted in the top 10.

However, there are still some excellent players who were selected in the first round, and I believe three of them are basically locks to receive maximum-salary rookie scale extensions at the beginning of July (the new contracts will kick in starting in ‘24/25). They all have areas they need to improve on, but the potential and production are there.

The top candidates

Anthony Edwards, G/F, Timberwolves

After spending much of his first two seasons playing small forward, Edwards primarily played shooting guard in 2022/23 and had a career year, averaging 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals on .459/.369/.756 shooting in 79 regular season games (36.0 MPG). The top overall pick of 2020 was named an All-Star for the first time this season.

Edwards has been durable, has improved nearly across the board in each of his three seasons, is arguably the best athlete in the class, and is only 21 years old. The fact that the Wolves were able to stay afloat with Karl-Anthony Towns missing most of the season is a testament to Edwards’ growth, and there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

LaMelo Ball, G, Hornets

The 2020/21 Rookie of the Year was an All-Star in year two after averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals on .429/.389/.872 shooting in 75 games (32.3 MPG). Ball, the third overall pick in 2020, followed that up by averaging 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals on .411/.376/.836 shooting in ’22/23.

The problem was, Ball sustained multiple left ankle sprains and then fractured his right ankle on a non-contact play at the end of February, which limited him to 36 games this season.

I highly doubt those ankle injuries will impact his next contract, though they are a little worrisome. It’s possible the Hornets might push for some type of protections on the deal, but I’d be a little surprised — Ball played 75 games in ‘21/22.

Tyrese Haliburton, G, Pacers

Several draft analysts had Haliburton high on their boards, but he wound up falling to the Kings at No. 12 overall. He played very well in his stint with Sacramento, but his fit with fellow point guard De’Aaron Fox was less than perfect, particularly defensively, and the Kings memorably traded him in February 2022 for a package headlined by big man Domantas Sabonis.

The deal has worked out well for both teams. Haliburton thrived as a full-time point guard for the Pacers to end last season, and he was outstanding in 2022/23, making his first All-Star appearance while averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals on a sparkling .490/.400/.871 shooting line in 56 games (33.6 MPG).

Advanced stats nearly universally say Haliburton has been the top player from his class through three seasons. His efficiency and excellent decision-making stand out.

The 23-year-old only averaged 2.5 turnovers per game this season, good for a 4.15-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio – an excellent mark. Indiana went 28-28 with him in the lineup, versus 7-19 without him.

The borderline candidates

Two other first-round picks from 2020 are likely to receive massive extension offers this summer, but I’m not sure if they’ll get the full max – I could see it going either way.

Tyrese Maxey, G, Sixers

Given his relatively modest numbers as a rookie, Maxey’s enormous leap in ‘21/22 was pretty surprising (and impressive). He averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists on .485/.427/.866 shooting in 75 games (35.3 MPG) in his second NBA season. The former 21st overall pick had a strong playoff showing as well, averaging 20.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .484/.377/.940 shooting in 12 games (40.4 MPG).

Maxey maintained his great outside shooting this season, averaging 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .481/.434/.845 shooting in 60 games (33.6 MPG).

Still just 22 years old, Maxey is electric with the ball in his hands and is one of the fastest players in the league, making him a terror in transition. While he rarely turns the ball over, he’s more of a shooting guard than a point guard at this time, frequently looking to score instead of distribute.

However, he’s only 6’2″, so he can realistically only defend point guards, and he doesn’t have great instincts on that end. Most of the players listed here need to work on becoming more consistent defenders, but the other players have size advantages and are better at making plays both on and off the ball defensively.

The new CBA allows players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign five-year deals – they were previously limited to four-year contracts. With that in mind, I think Maxey is highly likely to receive an offer in the range of $160-170MM over five years, but I’d be mildly surprised if he gets the full projected $200MM+ due to his limitations as a play-maker and defender (whether he accepts less than a max deal is another story).

Desmond Bane, G/F, Grizzlies

A four-year college player out of TCU, Bane was the last pick of the first round in 2020. He had a quality rookie season, mostly off the bench, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds on .469/.432/.816 shooting in 68 games (17 starts, 22.3 MPG).

Like Maxey, Bane emerged as one of the most improved players in the league last season, averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals on .461/.436/.903 shooting in 76 games (29.8 MPG). He was even better in ‘22/23, putting up 21.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .479/.408/.883 shooting in 58 games (31.7 MPG).

From a statistical standpoint, the 24-year-old has a legitimate argument for getting a max deal. He’s an elite shooter and is a solid play-maker and defender.

My only real questions as far as a max deal are: Can Bane be one of the best players on a championship-level team? Is he good enough at creating his own shot? I did view Memphis as a legitimate contender this year until Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke went down with injuries.

Bane is already an excellent player who has shown consistent improvement year over year. Every team in the league would love to have him. I’m just not totally sold on a full max, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets it, and it’s hard to say he hasn’t earned it.

Injury Updates: Morant, Payne, James, Davis, George, Gobert, Jokic

April 18th, 2023 at 8:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant is officially listed as questionable to play in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Lakers, the team’s PR department tweets. Morant is dealing with right hand soreness. He landed hard on the court while committing a charge during the fourth quarter of Game 1.

Adrian Wojnarowski said on the “NBA on ESPN” show that he “does not sense a great deal of optimism” that Morant will play on Wednesday (Twitter link). An MRI on Monday revealed an aggravation of soft tissue bruising in Morant’s hand. He originally injured the hand in the Grizzlies’ April 7 win over Milwaukee, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

We have more injury-related updates:

Suns reserve guard Cameron Payne won’t play in Game 2 against the Clippers on Tuesday, Chris Haynes of TNT tweets. Payne hasn’t played since April 7 due to a back injury.
Both members of the Lakers’ dynamic duo popped up on the injury report submitted the team’s PR department, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. However, they are listed as probable for Game 2 against Memphis, with LeBron James dealing with right foot soreness and Anthony Davis nursing a right foot stress injury.
Clippers forward Paul George did a mix of conditioning and shooting drills during a workout prior to the team’s shootaround on Tuesday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times reports. George is recovering from a sprained right knee and it remains uncertain whether he’ll play at all during the first-round series.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is listed as questionable to play in Game 2 of their series against the Nuggets on Wednesday due to back spasms, the team’s PR department tweets.
While it would be surprising if he didn’t play in Game 2, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is also listed as questionable due to a right wrist sprain, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. Jokic participated in practice on Tuesday and didn’t seem to think the sprain was overly serious.

Injury Notes: Giannis, Morant, Hart, Randle, Payne

April 18th, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

After previously stating that X-rays on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s back injury came back negative, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said on Monday that an MRI also came back clean, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

The Bucks haven’t made any official announcements yet about Antetokounmpo’s availability for Game 2 on Wednesday, but Budenholzer told reporters on Monday that the superstar forward was making progress despite still being sore.

“He’s getting some treatment and I think we’ll just continue to monitor him for the next day or two,” Budenholzer said. “Probably fortunate that there are two days between games, so I think still mostly positive, mostly optimistic, but we’ll see how he feels over the next day or two.”

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The status of Grizzlies star Ja Morant for Wednesday’s game vs. the Lakers remains up in the air due to his hand injury. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on NBA Today on Monday (Twitter video link) that there’s “significant doubt” about Morant’s ability to play in Game 2. Shams Charania of The Athletic hears that tests on Morant’s hand revealed no breaks and that his availability could end up being a question of pain tolerance. The All-Star guard referred to his pain level on Sunday as a 10 out of 10.
One day after listing Josh Hart as doubtful for Game 2 due to a left ankle sprain, the Knicks have upgraded him to questionable (Twitter link). Knicks forward Julius Randle also provided a positive update on his own ankle sprain, telling reporters that he’s feeling no ill effects after playing in Game 1, though he admitted that his conditioning isn’t yet where he wants it to be (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of ESPN).
Suns guard Cameron Payne, who was limited to 48 games this season due to injuries and didn’t play in Game 1 on Sunday, has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s Game 2 due to low back soreness, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Jaren Jackson Jr. Named Defensive Player Of Year

April 17th, 2023 at 6:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA on TNT tweets. Jackson received 56 of the 100 first-place votes, according to an NBA press release.

The Bucks’ Brook Lopez and Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley were the other finalists. Lopez was the runner-up, notching 31 first-place votes while Mobley received eight. Draymond Green (3) and Bam Adebayo (1) also received first-place votes and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Joel Embiid claimed the final first-place vote, though the Sixers star finished ninth overall, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, OG Anunoby, and Jrue Holiday. Nic Claxton, Alex Caruso, and Jimmy Butler also appeared on at least one ballot.

Jackson led the NBA in blocks per game (3.0) and also averaged one steal in 63 regular-season appearances for the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. He had a career-best 2.0 Defensive Box Plus/Minus rating and a 3.8 Defensive Win Shares rating, ranking him among the top 10 in the league in both categories.

Lopez averaged a career-high 2.5 blocks while serving as the defensive anchor for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. His total of 193 blocks in 78 games led the league during the regular season.

Mobley averaged 1.5 blocks per game and, along with Jarrett Allen, anchored a defense that limited opponents to a NBA-low 106.9 points per game.

The Celtics’ Marcus Smart scored a rare victory for a guard when he won the award last season. Rudy Gobert won it as a member of the Jazz three of the previous four years. Antetokounmpo won it during the pandemic-shortened 2019/20 season.

Among active players, Green (2016/17 season) and Kawhi Leonard (2014/15 and 2015/16) have also earned the honor.

2023 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results

April 17th, 2023 at 4:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.

The results of the drawings were as follows:

The Rockets (No. 2) won a tiebreaker with the Spurs (No. 3).
- Note: The lottery odds remain the same for both teams. The Rockets will draft ahead of the Spurs if neither lands in the top four.
The Pacers (No. 7) won a tiebreaker with the Wizards (No. 8).
- Note: The Pacers will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Wizards.
The Bulls (No. 11) won a tiebreaker with the Thunder (No. 12).
- Note: The Bulls will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Thunder. Chicago’s pick will be conveyed to the Magic if it doesn’t move into the top four.
The Heat (No. 18) won a tiebreaker with the Warriors (No. 19, who won a tiebreaker with the Clippers (No. 20).
- Note: The Clippers’ pick will be conveyed to the Rockets.
The Suns (No. 21) won a tiebreaker with the Nets (No. 22).
- Note: The result is negligible for the first round, since the Suns’ pick was traded to the Nets.
The Grizzlies (No. 25) won a tiebreaker with the Cavaliers (No. 26).
- Note: The Cavaliers’ pick will be conveyed to the Pacers.

In the case of tiebreakers, second round order is the reverse of first round order except for the lottery teams. In that case, the second-round order could still change, depending on which team finishes higher in the lottery.

In the case of the three-way tie at 18-20, the Clippers will pick first in the second round at No. 48, followed by the Warriors at No. 49 and the Heat at No. 50. Golden State’s pick has been traded to the Cavaliers, while Miami’s pick will be conveyed to the Thunder or Pacers, depending on the lottery results.

The tiebreaker between the Rockets and Spurs didn’t decide which team gets the Rockets’ second-round pick, which is top-32 protected. It will be conveyed to either the Pacers or Celtics once the lottery is conducted.

Grizzlies Notes: Morant Injury, Jones, Jackson

April 17th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies haven’t determined Ja Morant‘s status going forward, but the scene in the locker room wasn’t encouraging after Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Morant kept his right hand at his side after hurting it on a collision with Anthony Davis in the fourth quarter. He used his left hand to check his phone, put on headphones and get dressed after a shower, raising questions about whether he can be ready when the series resumes Wednesday night.

Morant appeared to reaggravate a bruise on his hand that he suffered in the next-to-last game of the season. An X-ray on the hand Sunday was negative, but Morant described his pain level as “about a 10” and admitted there was “doubt” that he can be ready for Game 2.

“I’m gonna do anything to try to be out there for my team, be out there on the floor, pretty much how much I can tolerate, to like I can go out there and be somewhat like myself,” he said. “ If not, I don’t want to do anything to hurt the team.”

Vardon notes that most of Morant’s difficulties this season have been self-inflicted, with the most obvious being an eight-game suspension last month after posting a video of himself with a gun in a Denver-area nightclub. That seemed to be weighing on him as he considered the injury he suffered Sunday, Vardon states.

“It’s very tough, stressful,” Morant said. “Obviously, I feel like you guys can tell my body language and stuff now. Pretty much taking what happened, I don’t know, I’m numb to everything right now. It’s like, I’m not even surprised. It’s one thing after another.”

There’s more from Memphis:

The suspension gave the Grizzlies a chance to get used to playing without Morant, so they have some confidence even if he can’t be ready for Wednesday, Vardon adds. Backup point guard Tyus Jones made 22 starts this season, averaging 16.4 points and 8.1 assists per game in that role, and Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. look to score more often when Morant is out. “We’ve been in that position before without him on the floor, and Tyus is obviously capable to play a big role and make plays on both ends of the floor,” Bane said. “You know, so, hopefully, Ja is back Wednesday, but if not, Ty will be ready to go.”
Jackson was a bright spot for Memphis with 31 points while hitting 13 of his 21 shots from the field, notes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Jackson was one of the league’s best interior players over the last month of the regular season and he looked like a mismatch for LeBron James in Game 1, Cole adds.
The Lakers may now be the favorites to win the series considering Sunday’s performance and the uncertainty surrounding Morant, contends Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

Ja Morant Suffers Hand Injury, Game 2 Status Questionable

April 16th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant suffered an injury to his right hand and wrist midway through the fourth quarter of Game 1 against the Lakers on Sunday (ESPN video link).

X-rays were negative but “he’s in some pain,” coach Taylor Jenkins told Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) and other media members afterward. The medical staff is still evaluating his hand and wrist. Morant already had a nagging injury to the hand before he crashed into Anthony Davis and was called for charging.

Morant said he re-injured his hand, not his wrist, on the play. Asked if there’s a chance he won’t be able to play in Game 2, Morant responded “yes,” Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian tweets. Game 2 is scheduled to be played on Wednesday in Memphis.

If Morant needs to miss any games, it would obviously be a huge blow to the Grizzlies’ chances to advancing. The seventh-seeded Lakers took complete command after Morant departed to the locker room and collected a 128-112 victory. No. 2 seed Memphis is already playing without starting center Steven Adams, who is expected to miss the entire postseason due to a knee injury.

Morant had a rough outing prior to the injury. He scored 18 points in 30 minutes but only had two assists, compared to six turnovers.

Ja Morant Files Countersuit Against Teen He Punched

April 16th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies star Ja Morant has filed a countersuit against the teenager he punched during a pickup game last summer, arguing that false statements by the teen could cost him an All-NBA berth and his chance at a super-max payday, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The teen’s initial lawsuit named Morant as the instigator of the incident and said that the Grizzlies guard went into his home and came back with a gun tucked into his pants, both claims that Morant denies. Regardless of whether those allegations are true or false, Morant’s suit makes a dubious argument, since the eight-game suspension that may cost him an All-NBA spot (and upwards of $39MM) was the result of a separate gun-related incident.

Poll: Western Conference’s First Round Playoff Series

April 15th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

After calling for your predictions for the four first round series in the Eastern Conference earlier in the day, we’re pivoting to the West this afternoon.

Here are the four first round series in the Western Conference:

Denver Nuggets (1) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8)

Unlike in the East, where there are a handful of overwhelming favorites at the top of the conference, the Western Conference field appears more wide open as the playoffs begin. The Nuggets are heavily favored in this series, but their betting line (-550, per BetOnline.ag) isn’t anywhere close to the -1200 and -1300 lines we were seeing in the East.

As good as the Nuggets were this season, they weren’t playing their best basketball down the stretch, having lost five of their last seven games and 10 of their last 17 entering the postseason. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, had a disappointing year, but have a lot of high-end talent on their roster, including three-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, and ascendant All-Star Anthony Edwards.

A Timberwolves team playing to its full potential could give Denver trouble, but we haven’t seen that often this season. It would be a major upset if Tim Connelly‘s new team can get past his old one.

Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)

After incorporating their trade-deadline acquisitions on February 11, the Lakers went 18-8 to close the regular season, which would translate to a 57-win pace over 82 games.

Throw in the fact that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are relatively healthy and two key members of the Grizzlies‘ frontcourt (Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke) aren’t, and it’s easy to understand why Memphis is only a slight favorite (-142) over Los Angeles (+122) in this series.

Still, the Grizzlies had the best net rating (+4.0) in the West this season and history is working in their favor — as John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, the NBA’s No. 7 and No. 8 playoff seeds have lost 95 of 100 first round series in the last 25 years. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and company won’t be intimidated by the Lakers’ star power.

Sacramento Kings (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)

The Kings‘ reward for snapping a 16-season playoff drought is a first-round matchup against the defending champions, who have won titles in four of the last eight years.

The Warriors‘ impressive track record in the postseason has made them betting favorites (-265) in this series over Sacramento (+225). Golden State has had an up-and-down year, but has a huge experience edge in this matchup and seemed to be hitting its stride at the right time in the season’s final weeks. With Andrew Wiggins set to be available for Game 1, the roster is at full strength and will present a tough challenge for the higher-seeded Kings.

Still, the Kings have been exceeding expectations all season long, and their home crowd should be whipped into a frenzy for the first NBA playoff basketball in Sacramento since 2006. This has a chance to be a very fun series.

Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5)

The key for both of these star-studded rosters is staying healthy. Suns forward Kevin Durant and guard Chris Paul have battled multiple injuries over the years, including this season, as have Clippers forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Suns have the health advantage entering this series, with George considered unlikely to play vs. Phoenix as he recovers from a sprained knee.

Even if PG13 can return to action before the series ends, the Clippers will be in tough against a Phoenix team that has looked incredibly dangerous with Durant on the court. The former MVP has only played in eight games for the Suns since being acquired at the trade deadline, but they’ve won all eight, outscoring opponents by a total of 88 points in those contests.

The Suns are considered strong betting favorites, with a -465 line at BetOnline.ag.