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Southwest Notes: Zion, Ingram, Morant, Primo

December 8th, 2021 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

New concerns have emerged about Zion Williamson‘s weight after a photo was tweeted from the Pelicans‘ game last week in Houston in which he looked larger than usual, writes Jenna Lemoncelli of The New York Post. Williamson hasn’t played yet this season while recovering from foot surgery, and he suffered another setback last week when soreness in the foot further delayed his return.

Meanwhile, there has been increased speculation about his bulkiness, which has been an issue dating back to his time in college. On Tuesday’s “Lowe Post” podcast with Zach Lowe, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said sources have told him that Williamson’s weight has ballooned to 330 pounds, well above his listed playing weight of 284.

In response to last week’s photo, a friend of Williamson tweeted out a different picture today at a youth basketball event in which the Pelicans star looks much lighter and called the weight controversy “fake news.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Brandon Ingram has been putting up big numbers over the Pelicans‘ last seven games, and he and new coach Willie Green agree it’s because they’ve figured out the best way to use him, per William Guillory of The Athletic. Despite being double teamed more frequently, Ingram is averaging 25.4 PPG over that stretch. “He’s just been playing at a higher level, playing faster, more aware of what’s going on around him,” Green said. “Really, there are times when he’s just taking over the game, which I love to see from him.”
Injured Grizzlies star Ja Morant was placed into the league’s health and safety protocols today, but coach Taylor Jenkins isn’t worried about Morant’s health, according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jenkins didn’t reveal if Morant tested positive for the virus, but said he recently got a booster shot and is feeling fine. “There’s still more testing to be done so it’s too early to know exactly how that’s going to impact timelines and all that stuff but there’s definitely rules,” Jenkins said. “That’s why fortunately he’s fully vaccinated and has his booster so whatever comes, hopefully there’s more positive for us, not testing wise.”
Spurs guard Joshua Primo has seen some NBA action lately with Devin Vassell injured, but the organization plans to have him return to the G League, states Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. “We want him to have more time in Austin for obvious reasons,” coach Gregg Popovich said of the 18-year-old rookie. “He needs to mature in every way, shape and form because of his age. But, having said that, he has a confidence that belies his age. He’s pretty steady in his emotions, shows a great affinity for the game, understands what is going on better than most people, and he is willing to stick his nose in.”

Ja Morant Enters Health And Safety Protocols

December 8th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who’s currently sidelined with a sprained knee, has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, the team announced (Twitter link). Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets that Morant is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and has received a booster shot.

It’s not clear if Morant tested positive or not, but if he did, he will be out for at least 10 days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests a minimum of 24 hours apart. Being in the protocols could impact his rehab process, but since he was already sidelined, he’s unlikely to miss any extra games.

Morant was in the midst of an outstanding season before the injury, averaging 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game on 48% shooting. Despite Morant being sidelined, the Grizzlies have won five games in a row, including a record-breaking 73-point victory over the Thunder.

Memphis faces Dallas Wednesday night. In addition to Morant, the team also listed Brandon Clarke (sore knee), Sam Merrill (ankle sprain), and rookie Ziaire Williams (ankle sprain) as out, with Kyle Anderson (back) doubtful.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Doncic, Williamson, Jones

December 4th, 2021 at 3:58pm CST by JD Shaw

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is making progress in his rehab from a left knee sprain, but his timeline for a return still hasn’t changed, according to Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant suffered the injury against the Hawks on November 26.

“He’s been responding really well to the treatments, the lift sessions that he’s had and we’re sprinkling in just small doses of on-court work just to make sure his knee’s moving and seeing how he’s responding day to day,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said.

As we previously relayed, Jenkins said Morant would miss multiple weeks. Prior to injuring his knee, the 22-year-old was averaging a career-high 24.1 points per game in 19 contests. Memphis has still managed to win all three of its games without him, including a record 73-point victory over Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Here are some other notes from the Southwest Division:

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness) will miss Saturday’s contest against the Grizzlies, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Joining him will be Kristaps Porzingis (left knee contusion) and Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons). Dallas is just 4-6 in its last 10 games.
Andrew Lopez of ESPN examines whether the return of Zion Williamson can stabilize the Pelicans‘ season. Williamson (foot surgery rehab) has yet to play this season, leading to New Orleans accruing the third-worst record in the West at 7-18. In 61 games last season, he averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 33.2 minutes on 61% shooting.
Pelicans second-round pick Herb Jones has become one of the league’s best young defenders, William Guillory of The Athletic opines. Jones was drafted by New Orleans in July after spending four seasons at Alabama. “To be great on defense, you have to really want it,” he explained. “You have to play with a different kind of aggression, a different kind of desire. I take pride in always being the guy who’s ready to lay it all out there for my teammates. That’s what I care about the most.”

Ja Morant To Miss Multiple Weeks

November 28th, 2021 at 5:48pm CST by JD Shaw

Grizzlies star Ja Morant will be re-evaluated in “a few weeks” after suffering a knee sprain during Friday’s game, head coach Taylor Jenkins said, according to Evan Barnes of The Commerical Appeal (Twitter link).

As previously relayed, Morant avoided a serious injury and is expected to make a full recovery. Memphis will still be without its best player for several more games, meaning guards Tyus Jones and De’Anthony Melton will likely see increased minutes. The team started Jones against Sacramento on Sunday.

After sustaining the injury, Morant was able to return to the club’s bench without crutches. He underwent an MRI later that night to confirm a knee sprain, but an official timetable still hasn’t been issued by the Grizzlies.

Morant was in the midst of an electric season, averaging 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game on 48% shooting. Memphis entered Sunday’s game with a 9-10 record, good for the ninth-best in the Western Conference.

Ja Morant Suffers Left Knee Sprain

November 27th, 2021 at 5:13am CST by Rory Maher

NOVEMBER 27: Morant has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain following preliminary imaging, the Grizzlies announced late on Friday night (Twitter link).

The Grizzlies will conduct further tests on Saturday, but assuming that initial diagnosis is confirmed, it’s great news for the team and for the star point guard, who were fearing a more significant injury, says ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

Memphis should get a better idea of a potential recovery timeline for Morant once Saturday’s tests are completed and the club can fully assess the severity of the sprain, Woj adds.

NOVEMBER 26: Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant suffered a left knee injury Friday night against Atlanta and will not return to the game, per Rob Fischer of Bally Sports (Twitter link, with a video link underneath).

Morant immediately started limping after an awkward step and was holding his knee on the sidelines before being taken to the locker room with the help of training staff. John Collins appeared to make very minor contact with his right leg, but it’s not clear if that had anything to do with the injury.

Ja was able to return to the team’s bench and was walking on his own, without crutches, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (via Twitter). Hopefully that’s a good sign that it’s not major, but testing will determine the specific nature of the injury. Morant sent out this tweet after the game, indicating that his status is up in the air.

Morant is one of the most exciting players in the league to watch and has had an outstanding start to the season. Through 18 games (33.9 MPG), he’s averaged 25.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 7.1 APG and 1.7 SPG.

Southwest Notes: Anderson, Hart, Williamson, Morant, Garuba

November 18th, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyle Anderson enjoyed a career year for the Grizzlies as a fixture in the lineup in 2020/21. He’s had a difficult time adjusting to a bench role this season, Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal notes. Anderson, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, posted averages of 12.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 3.4 APG in 69 starts last season. In 14 games off the bench this season, he’s playing approximately five fewer minutes per game while averaging 8.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 2.4 APG.

“I’m just still trying to figure it out. It’s a different role,” Anderson said. “People may look at last year and say why aren’t you doing what you did last year? It’s just that’s over. This is a different role. I’m a professional. I’ve got to figure it out.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Pelicans are floundering with a 2-14 record and guard Josh Hart doesn’t want to hear excuses for their poor start, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. “We have to grow up. (Bleep) being young, inexperienced,” he said. “I don’t really care for that right now. We have have to focus on growing up. We have to focus on having better attention to detail.”
When Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were drafted 1-2 in 2019, it should have sparked a spirited division rivalry between the Pelicans and Grizzlies, It hasn’t worked out that way, at least not yet, because of Williamson’s injury issues, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian writes. The teams have only met six times since that draft due to the pandemic and only three have included both Williamson and Morant, Herrington notes. Just one of those matchups had a full complement of fans in the stands due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Rockets first-round pick Usman Garuba has been assigned the G League Rio Grande Valley Vipers and that’s needed in order to get him some experience, Rahat Huq of the Houston Chronicle writes. Garuba hasn’t cracked the Rockets’ regular rotation, appearing in just seven games and averaging 6.4 MPG. Garuba is noted for defensive prowess but needs to develop his offensive game, Huq adds.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Alexander-Walker, Hayes, Jones

November 4th, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

Zion Williamson‘s weight and conditioning are receiving increased scrutiny as his recovery from offseason foot surgery drags on, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who notes that multiple members of the national media have focused on the issue this week.

In a Substack article about the Pelicans star, veteran reporter Marc Stein suggested that Williamson has to be a “more active participant in his own recovery” and must find a way to better manage his weight. Former teammate J.J. Redick, now an analyst for ESPN, stated that Zion “has to be in better shape.” TNT’s television studio analysts also weighed in on the subject on Tuesday, with Charles Barkley joking that recent video of Williamson working out “looked like me and Shaq had a baby.”

Pelicans fans can’t be thrilled that Williamson continues to battle health problems as Ja Morant continues to emerge as one of the league’s brightest young stars in Memphis, but it’s revision history to suggest New Orleans should’ve drafted Morant over Zion with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, Stein notes. According to Stein, he recently asked executives from 10 different teams about that choice and only one said he might’ve been willing to take Morant first overall two years ago — and even that exec acknowledged that team ownership probably wouldn’t have signed off.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

The 1-8 Pelicans can reasonably expect to be better once Williamson and Brandon Ingram (hip) are back on the court, but it’s a discouraging sign that other young breakout candidates – such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaxson Hayes – are off to underwhelming starts this season, writes William Guillory of The Athletic.
Hayes, who is typically the backup center behind Jonas Valanciunas, was replaced on the depth chart by Willy Hernangomez in Wednesday’s game, Clark writes for NOLA.com. Hayes only logged four minutes and didn’t play in the second half. It’s unclear if that was just a one-game change or if Hernangomez could see more action going forward, says Clark.
Pelicans rookie Herb Jones was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol on Wednesday after sustaining a concussion in Tuesday’s game vs. Phoenix, the team announced in a press release. He’ll have to show he’s symptom-free before being cleared to return.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Burke, Wieskamp, Temple

October 28th, 2021 at 6:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant says he’s motivated by his desire to be recognized as an All-Star player, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports writes. Morant, who has been on a scoring tear this season, averaging 30.5 PPG and 8.5 APG, says he has a chip on his shoulder after being passed over for the All-Star Game in his first two NBA seasons.

“I feel like it took me averaging 35 points a game to finally get some All-Star recognition,” Morant said. “But, I really can’t speak too much on that. I feel like my chip will never leave.”

We have more on the Southwest Division:

Mavericks guard Trey Burke will not play against San Antonio on Thursday due to COVID-19 protocols, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Burke is not sick, but he missed part of his protocol sequence, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Unvaccinated players are required to go through more COVID protocols between games than those who are vaccinated. Burke, who is signed through 2022/23, has only made two brief appearances this season.
Rookie Joe Wieskamp is taking a positive approach to being assigned to the G League by the Spurs, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News tweets. “It was really fun to be around the (NBA) team and go to the games, but obviously we weren’t getting too many minutes, if at all,” he said. “This gives us an opportunity to go out there and play and develop.” The former Iowa wing is playing on a two-way contract.
Pelicans guard Garrett Temple is doubtful to play on Friday after injuring his ankle on Wednesday, according to a post on the team’s website. “It’s still pretty sore with his left ankle,” coach Willie Green said. “We’re not sure about (Temple’s availability for) tomorrow, but we’ll know more as we get closer to the game.”

Southwest Notes: Morant, Zion, Valanciunas, Rockets

October 21st, 2021 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Don’t count on Grizzlies guard Ja Morant joining the list of NBA stars who have become disgruntled with their circumstances and sought a way out, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. As Vardon details, Morant is thrilled with his situation in Memphis, and all signs point to him signing a long-term maximum-salary extension once he becomes eligible in the summer of 2022.

“I love everything about it,” Morant said of playing for the Grizzlies and living in Memphis. “I feel like this is my home, from the front office down, the fans, the community. Everybody brought me in and made me feel like family, and me and my family couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Morant – who advocated for the Grizzlies to extend Jaren Jackson Jr. this offseason, per Vardon – believes the Grizzlies already have enough talent to become a viable championship contender. And the young point guard is looking forward to competing for a title in Memphis rather than jumping ship to do so elsewhere.

“Me, I’m not a big fan on the leaving,” Morant said.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report takes a deep dive into the Zion Williamson situation in New Orleans, noting that teams around the NBA will be keeping a close eye on the Pelicans‘ relationship with their star forward. Williamson’s weight and his reaction to potentially playing on a minutes limit when he returns from his foot injury will be worth monitoring, according to Fischer, who notes that the star forward “reached north of 300 pounds” during the offseason and bristled in his rookie year at playing in limited bursts following his return from a knee injury.
After signing a two-year contract extension with the Pelicans on Wednesday, center Jonas Valanciunas explained why he was willing to commit to the team before playing in a regular season game, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “From a coaching standpoint, they understand me and what I do,” Valanciunas said. “My teammates, good teammates. They welcomed me. The organization was great talking to me and helping me out. They made it seem like I’ve been here a long time. I wanted to come back.”
Ahead of their regular season opener, the youthful Rockets were enthusiastic about embracing the challenge ahead, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Following a blowout loss in Minnesota on Wednesday, they have a better sense of what that challenge entails, Feigen writes. “It’s the NBA. It’s grown men,” rookie Jalen Green said of the physicality he experienced in his regular season debut. “I’m 19 years old. It’s not high school any more. It’s the real league, a man’s league.”

Grizzlies Exercise 2022/23 Options For Morant, Clarke, Bane

October 16th, 2021 at 4:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies have picked up the fourth-year options for Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke and the third-year option on Desmond Bane, the team announced (via Twitter). The moves were expected as all three players deliver a level of production that exceeds their salaries for the 2022/23 season.

Morant, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, was named Rookie of the Year in 2020 and helped Memphis reach the playoffs last season. He will make $12.1MM next season and will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension in July.

Clarke, who was selected 21st in 2019, has been a consistent bench player and part-time starter during both of his years with the Grizzlies. He will earn $4.3MM in 2022/23 and will also be eligible for an extension next summer.

Bane, the 30th pick in 2020, was acquired in a draft-night trade and had a productive rookie year, starting 17 of the 68 games he played. He will make $2.13MM during the 2022/23 season.

Memphis elected not to pick up the $8.1MM fourth-year option for Jarrett Culver, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. Culver, who was acquired from the Timberwolves in an August trade, will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.