8 people on the team were injured!2 people were reimbursed for the season!The worst team in the NBA was born
On January 14, Beijing time, the Grizzlies played the Knicks at home. Before the game, the Grizzlies officially announced: Jaren Jackson Jr. missed the game due to a right knee contusion. It is worth mentioning that JJJ is the eighth injured player of the Grizzlies, and only 9 players on the team can play! The total salary of the absent players reached $104 million, and the total salary of the players who played reached $52 million.
Of the 17 players on the team, nearly half of them are injured, Adams and Morant have confirmed their season reimbursements, and the Grizzlies are the worst in the NBA. Here's a look at the Grizzly injury list:
Jaren Jackson Jr., right knee contusion, Aldama, left knee contusion, Bane, left ankle sprain, Clark, left Achilles tendon tear, Morant, right shoulder labial muscle tear, Adams, right knee cruciate ligament rupture, Rose, left hamstring strain, Smart, right ring finger center slippage tear.
Adams and Morant, as they have written before, can only see each other next season. Clarke, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in March last year and has been sidelined for 10 months, is now working on the ball and is back in action this season. Next, Smart, who was injured in the Grizzlies' game against the Mavericks on Jan. 10 and was out for at least six weeks.
Last offseason, the Grizzlies packed Tyus Jones, the 2023 first-round pick No. 25, and the 2024 first-round pick (from the Warriors, top-four picks protected), and traded 3-for-1 to get Smart!Smart only played 20 games due to injury this season, averaging 14.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 3.1 turnovers per game, and shooting percentages from three: 43%, 31.3%, and 76.8%.
Smart's contract is four years, $52 million, expiring in the summer of 2026. The contract value for money is still quite good, but there is no hope for the Grizzlies this season, let's come back next season! Morant and Smart have been injured one after another, and Rose could have had more opportunities, but unfortunately he has injured his hamstring and has only played 2 games since December 19.
Last offseason, Rose joined the Grizzlies for two years and $6.5 million, and the contract is fully guaranteed and expires in the summer of 2025. Rose has played in just 17 games this season, averaging 17.9 minutes per game, 8.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 1.3 turnovers while shooting 43.8%, 33.3% and 90.5% from three.
A hamstring strain is an injury that is prone to recurrence, and Rose's status is still uncertain. Speaking about Rose's role, Smart said: "Rose has always been with Morant, he's had his peak, he's been in the spotlight. Rose has been through it all and he is willing to pass on his experience to young players. ”
The Grizzlies didn't want to mess up, in order to let the veteran guide Morant, the team traded to get Smart, and then signed Rose! Don't forget, last offseason, the Grizzlies smashed a five-year, $207 million extension for Bane, treating him as an important piece of the team's puzzle. In the last game against the Grizzlies, Bane stepped on the foot of the small card and left the game early with a sprained left ankle.
With Morant sidelined, Bane has played the best performance of his career this season. He played in 37 games, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1 steal and 2.7 turnovers per game while shooting 47.4%, 38.4% and 86.4% from three. He averaged career highs in points and assists per game, and hit 3.3 three-pointers per game, also a career high.
The Grizzlies are currently in the bottom three of the West, and the team has no record pressure, which should give Bane and JJJ two more rests. Grizzlies coach Jenkins said: "The injury situation we have had is unique. Veteran fans will remember that the 2015-16 Grizzlies were also plagued by injuries, with 28 players playing in a single season.
In the past, fans always ridiculed "no Mo bear", but now it has become "no no bear"!