This is just not the Memphis Grizzlies year.
Add Marcus Smart to a long and devastating list of injuries that have hit the Grizzlies this season — he will be re-evaluated in six weeks for a serious finger injury.
The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update. pic.twitter.com/38T9Yxmv2T
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 11, 2024
This injury likely happened because of contact with the ball or another player. Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes explains the injury.
Re: Marcus Smart: The proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint is the tip of the finger. Acute central slip injuries often leave the injured athlete with a Boutonniere deformity. The focus moving forward will be restoring Smart's ROM in the digit whether through splinting or surgery.
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) January 11, 2024
The Grizzlies announced this on the same day Ja Morant underwent surgery to his shoulder that will end his season after just nine games (he had sat out the first 25 games due to a league suspension for flashing a gun on social media). The Grizzlies also are without starting center Steven Adams for the season (knee surgery) and backup center and rising star Brandon Clarke (recovering from a torn ACL).
Memphis is 14-23 on the season, sitting 13th in the West and 4.5 games back of even the final play-in spot. While they will deny tanking, don’t be surprised if the Grizzlies focus on “developing younger players” and less on wins the rest of the way, they control their draft pick this season. Memphis could add a top-10 lottery pick to what should be a healthy and dangerous roster next season once everyone is healthy.
