Morant steps onto the court again. The Grizzlies star faces a crucial re-evaluation next week as his calf continues to heal.
Ja Morant is inching closer to a return, but the Memphis Grizzlies star remains in evaluation mode as he rehabs a right calf strain.
Morant has been out since Nov. 15, when he suffered the injury during a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Grizzlies announced on Nov. 17 that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks, a timetable that already ruled him out for Saturday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network).
Through 12 games this season, Morant is averaging 17.9 points and 7.6 assists. Memphis is 4-8 in those games, but has gone 4-4 in the eight contests he has missed, finding ways to stabilize its offense without a true point guard on the floor.
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo said the next formal checkpoint in Morant’s recovery will come once the team returns home.
In discussing where Morant stands in his ramp-up process, Iisalo laid out the short-term plan.
He said Morant, who has been limited since the injury in Cleveland, will be “re-evaluated next week when the team gets back from the four-game trip” as the Grizzlies continue to monitor how his calf responds.
There have already been encouraging signs. During an open portion of shootaround Friday morning, Morant was seen doing light on-court work — a notable progression from the stationary rehab he had been doing since mid-November.
His absence is only one piece of a much larger problem for Memphis at the position. Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), Ty Jerome (calf) and Javon Small (toe) are also sidelined, leaving the Grizzlies without their primary group of point guards and forcing Iisalo’s staff to dig deep into the depth chart.
The result has been a reimagined perimeter rotation. Vince Williams Jr. and Cam Spencer have shouldered more of the primary playmaking role, often initiating sets and organizing the offense. The team also signed Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract on Nov. 24 to bolster its guard depth during the crunch.
Williams, in particular, has responded with a surge in responsibility. In seven starts since Morant went down, he is averaging 9.6 points and 8.7 assists, including multiple games with at least 15 assists. His ability to function as a secondary creator earlier in the season has translated into a larger workload as the lead guard.
Even with that internal growth, Memphis’ outlook is still tied closely to Morant’s eventual return. The Grizzlies’ .500 record without him contrasts with their struggles when he has been available, but the organization remains committed to building around its star once he is cleared.
For now, Morant continues to work his way back, the team continues to improvise with its playmaking committee, and the calendar continues to tick toward next week’s re-evaluation — the next milestone in determining when he can rejoin the lineup.