Latest news with #MemphisGrizzlies'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Fans question as Memphis Grizzlies' center Zach Edey undergoes surgery for sprained ankle
Fans question as Memphis Grizzlies' center Zach Edey undergoes surgery for sprained ankle (Image Source: Getty) Memphis Grizzlies' center player Zach Edey is again in news for his recurring ankle injury. The Grizzlies released an official statement regarding Edey's sprained ankle and the need for surgery. However, many fans are finding it unbelievable and questioning whether a sprained ankle really needs surgery or not. Though the Grizzlies management has tried to remain as transparent as possible, it seems they are not revealing the complete truth regarding the injury. As per sources, Edey won't be able to play in the 2025-26 season as he would need a long-term recovery period. Four to six month recovery raises red flags for Memphis Grizzlies front office The Memphis Grizzlies released an official statement on Sunday June 8, stating that Zach Edey has re-sprained his left ankle during an off-season training session. After being sent for scans, it was revealed that the ankle has excess ligamentous laxity, for which the player would have to undergo surgery. Soon after the statement was released, several Grizzlies fans started questioning the statement as a surgery for simple ankle sprain has never been heard of. One such fan went on to question, 'surgery over a sprained ankle?????' bringing light to the suspicions that other fans have regarding the matter. While the sudden need for surgery does raise questions, there are chances that it might indeed be a grave injury. Due to this, another fan tried to uncover the actual reason behind the need for the surgery and said, 'Interesting. Since he is having surgery this typically means he had a grade III sprain (full tear of the ligaments). This likely comes with a 4-6 month return to play timeline.' Though it cannot be said for sure how much time it might take for Edey to completely recover, there might be a chance that the player would have to miss out the first few matches of NBA 2025-26 season. However, it is expected that Edey will make a complete recovery and return to the game without any hassle. But, when it comes to injuries that leads to surgeries, nothing can be said for sure. Also Read: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says iconic Larry O'Brien logo might return to Finals courts in 2026
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant makes a bold claim after a disappointing loss against Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of playoffs
Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant makes a bold claim after a disappointing loss against Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of playoffs (Image Credit: Getty Images) Key Highlights Addressing the press after an ignominious defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder , the Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant made a bold claim He displayed an assured side while discussing the team's strategy for future games The team's manager and shooting guard seconded his thoughts and shared how they plan to move ahead in the playoffs Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant set the tone for the upcoming playoff games by making a bold claim about the team's ensuing performances. He assured better performance going forward. The Grizzlies' guard got the support from the team's interim coach and the shooting guard, who displayed an optimistic viewpoint on the team's position and seemed determined to improve things. Ja Morant took a tough pledge after an ignominious defeat against Oklahoma City Thunder by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The Memphis Grizzlies had a terrible day playing Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They scored only 80 points against the Thunder's 131, becoming the sixth team in the NBA playoffs history to have lost by more than 50 points. The team needs hope and courage, and Ja Morant precisely provided that by displaying a determined mindset at the post-game presser. He said: 'We will never play that bad again,' instilling hopes among the Grizzlies squad and fans. Ja Morant talks GAME 1 LOSS vs OKC, FULL Postgame Interview When asked about his ankle injury, he kept his response straightforward and short, saying: 'It felt better. I was available,' the Grizzlies' primary leader said, avoiding discussing it much. Memphis Grizzlies' interim coach and shooting guard also made assuring comments about team's game plan The Memphis Grizzlies are managing with an interim coach, Tuomas Iisalo, who has a big responsibility on his shoulders to boost the team's morale after back-to-back defeats. And, he performed the task brilliantly by taking an optimistic stance while addressing the press. He said: 'And I've always thought in these situations, uh learned this as a as a younger player that there's nothing we can do to change this result anymore.' He further said, 'So all we can do is.. is try to learn from this and then apply it to the.. to the game um two days from now that's all we can do.' Grizzlies Coach Iisalo: Learn From Loss, Dominate Next Game! The Grizzlies' shooting guard, Desmond Bane, refused to get bogged down by the glaring point difference. He tried to tone down the hoopla around the defeat. 'You got to turn the page fast,' said Bane. He elaborated on the team's approach, saying: 'Definitely take the rest of this afternoon and kind of see what we could have done better, but at the end of the day, it's one game. If we lose by 50 or lose on a buzzer-beater, the series is still 1-0. Not the result that we wanted for sure, but still got a good opportunity to get on the road here in two days.' Ja Morant and the boys struggled throughout the game as the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated them in all departments. Ja and the team have a mammoth task of keeping the momentum high and utilizing every opportunity to emerge stronger from disappointing Game 1 against the Thunder. Also Read: 'I'd be pissed too': Oklahoma City Thunder's insider comments on Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant's reaction as team records humiliating defeat in first playoff What do you think of the bold claim made by Ja Morant after the team's disappointing show against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1? Share in the comments. Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India , including match schedules , team squads , points table and IPL live score for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap .
Washington Post
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Ja Morant dares the NBA to punish him, knowing it won't pull the trigger
A punishment in today's NBA possesses all the bark of a perfectly-groomed miniature poodle. It is a traffic cop blowing a whistle on the side of a four-lane Interstate. A secret password of 'password' meant to protect billions in a bank account. As worthless as a turnstile inside a train station — the deterrent that's supposed to keep customers honest, but has no answer for the kid who hops over the top. Ja Morant is that problem child, hurdling over the restrictions that he believes don't apply to him. So every time Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies' guard, preens with an imaginary gun or mocks a grenade toss in elaborately defiant celebrations, he's sneering at that wimpy little pooch, daring that pathetic authority figure watching helplessly from Midtown Manhattan. But the NBA, with its stationary restraints, won't do a thing because Morant knows the truth about playing in Adam Silver's NBA: If you're a star player, and if you want to fully commit to your self-created villain act, then the association will shudder, then shrug. Silver is the commissioner with a conscience, but one who can't even elicit common courtesy from his league's most reckless player. Unlike his predecessor, the late David Stern, Silver empowers foolishness and chooses to soft-parent while destructive behavior continues to undermine the basketball part of his basketball league. On the final night of regular season basketball on the league's broadcast partner TNT, Morant made a three-pointer — and fully understanding that the cameras would focus on him — commandeered the night's conversation by pretending to toss a grenade. Because as everyone knows, pretending to throw a grenade is bigger and brasher than the gun celebration that the NBA finds so 'inappropriate.' However, later in that prime-time game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Morant made another shot and it appeared as though he was about to form a gun with his hands, even though the league pretty-pleased asked him to stop doing that a week ago. It's evident by his actions that Morant, whose reputation Silver helped rehabilitate, holds so little respect for this commissioner, this league and their warnings. In March 2023, when Morant first got caught playing with real guns, the league suspended him for eight games. Morant didn't learn from that punishment, or he didn't care. So in the offseason, as his friend streamed live on Instagram, he brandished another small pistol to the delight of wannabe tough guys everywhere. That time, the league bayed and bared its teeth enough to suspend Morant for more than a quarter of the season (25 games) in an effort to set straight one of its brightest stars. Morant deserved this punishment. Not in the sense that he's a Second Amendment enthusiast, only that he needed the guidance and tough love because he's worth saving. He remains a rising star who has the charm and talent to become The Face of The League one day. Commissioners don't throw away guys such as Morant. They help them, and Silver provided Morant safe landing for his return and redemption. Silver set up the narrative, telling reporters in December 2023 how Morant complied with some vague program laid out by the league and that he and the player would soon meet personally. This gave the sense of Morant being called into the principal's office, as though a check-in with Silver was the last step before reformation. 'In the end, I feel like it made me better,' Morant said about the lengthy suspension. 'I feel like I learned some stuff about myself that I did during that process. Very eye-opening. It kind of gave me a new look on life. How I go about my days. How I carry myself.' But the suspension — as well the surge of support from simpletons and yes-men — only emboldened Morant. He now sees himself as a victim, because the billion-dollar corporation that employs him had the nerve to gently suggest that he should grow up. Earlier this month, when Morant extended his arm and fingers toward the Golden State Warriors' bench to pantomime a gun, the NBA warned him. But the very next game he played, Morant made the same gesture, wearing a blank stare of defiance. Some athletes protest authority by kneeling or raising a fist in dissent; Morant would rather flash a fake gun. Morant showed no regret for his actions after the 25-game suspension; now he's settled in this mindset that he's been treated unjustly. Can't a man continuously make violent gestures in front of thousands of paying customers and not have anyone talk about it?! So, with finger guns blazing, Morant is ready to take on his haters, and resist the league's burdensome rules. 'If somebody can say something negative about me, it's going to be out there. I don't care no more,' Morant said, before the NBA fined the multimillionaire $75,000. 'I've pretty much been a villain for two years now.' But a villain without a foil, because while Morant keeps exploring his boundaries, he knows the league can't do much about his behavior. Morant can punk the NBA all he wants, and why? Because the NBA postseason is coming up, with all its nationally-televised games. There are ratings to be had, and so the NBA needs its stars on the floor, not serving suspensions. Even if Joe Dumars, the NBA's head of basketball operations and the hammer behind those news releases that announce fines and punishments, delivers another statement about Morant's inappropriate gestures, that discipline will look reactionary — a response to negative publicity, and not a way to quell objectionable behavior. A 3-year-old sent to timeout inside a candy shop would seem more punitive than anything the NBA calls discipline. Punishment in the NBA comes lined in silk and padded with feathers. It is a stern look from the crossing guard who inherited the job, just not a Stern action. The NBA might ask for Morant's wrist, but he'll just continue to extend his thumb and index finger in the shape of the gun and aim it at the league's impotent threats.
New York Times
24-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis absences have implications across NBA
Maybe 65 games doesn't seem like a big ask, but we're finding out it's a pretty significant threshold. That's how many games players need to play to qualify for most major awards and honors, including All-NBA, and that in concert with two recent extended absences could have some pretty major impacts across the league. Advertisement Put together, Anthony Davis' adductor strain and Victor Wembanyama's season-ending blood clot could lead to some wide-ranging secondary consequences. Connect the dots on some other situations around the league, and it represents a fascinating sliding doors moment for several players and teams. That's particularly true if Giannis Antetokounmpo's nagging calf injury causes him to miss more games as well; he has to play 20 of the Milwaukee Bucks' final 26 games to qualify for All-NBA. Let's start with the most obvious stuff and then work our way down. First, Wembanyama was going to win Defensive Player of the Year, possibly unanimously. One of the next names on the list if he didn't was Davis. Now, by rule, neither of them will (Wembanyama has only played 46 games, and Davis just 43). The identity of that somebody else is an open question, but the two remaining favorites would seem to be the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley — the two who, coincidentally, finished first and third in 2023 before Rudy Gobert took the award last season. (Neither player garnered a single vote in 2024; Mobley didn't meet the games-played threshold, and Jackson's injury-ravaged Grizzlies plummeted to 27-55.) That, in turn, would have some pretty heavy contractual implications either way. For Mobley, his already-signed extension from last summer would boost to 30 percent of the salary cap if he wins Defensive Player of the Year, taking his 2025-26 salary from $38.7 million to $46.3 million and the overall value of the extension from a projected $224 million to a projected $269 million. Moreover, winning Defensive Player of the Year could matter for Mobley even if he makes third-team All-NBA, because the latter honor would only entitle him to 27.5 percent of the cap based on the terms of his extension. Between the odds of being boosted from third team to second, and the odds of winning Defensive Player of the Year, there's a very real chance the Wembanyama and Davis extended absences were worth $22.5 million for Mobley. Advertisement The team-planning implications of this for Cleveland could be significant; Mobley's increased money likely pushes the Cavaliers past the second-apron threshold in 2025-26 and will make them more expensive in the out years as well. The Cavs had already planned on being a luxury-tax team with this loaded core (and wisely wriggled out of the tax this season to prevent the repeater clock from starting on them), but their roster challenges at the margins will become harder. Jackson stands to benefit as well, in this case because of an extension he can sign after the season. Jackson's last extension featured a declining salary that pays him $23.4 million in 2025-26, a mere pittance for a player of this caliber. That salary also makes it difficult for the Grizzlies to sign him to a market-value extension due to collective bargaining agreement rules limiting the size of his raise, but that concern goes away if Jackson either wins Defensive Player of the Year or is named to one of the three All-NBA teams. In that case, he becomes supermax eligible and could make up to 35 percent of the cap on a five-year extension, entitling him to a mammoth extension worth a projected $345 million. (Note: Memphis could go out to five years on a supermax as long as it's at least 30 percent of the cap, or a projected $296 million.) Jackson has to play 10 more games to qualify. Mobley and Jackson figure to be the two most likely beneficiaries, but they aren't the only ones. Two other players can reap substantial financial benefits if they move up. The first is Cade Cunningham for the suddenly streaking Detroit Pistons, who started the year 11-17 but are 20-9 since. Think about that: 20-9! The Pistons! That's as many wins as they had in four of the past five seasons! They have a better record (31-26) than both of last year's Western Conference finalists! I can't stop using exclamation points! Advertisement Anyway, I digress. Cunningham, obviously, has played a major part in that, including his 38-point eruption in the Pistons' wild 148-143 win Sunday in Atlanta. Over his last dozen games, he has gone to another level as a distributor, averaging 9.9 assists with — notably — nearly three dimes for every miscue. But it's not just the passing; Cunningham is shooting 52.5 percent on 2s in this stretch and has lifted his mark inside the arc above 50 percent for the season. It was a long ride getting here, but his efficiency is now at leading-man levels. As with Mobley's, Cunningham's extension pays him 30 percent of the cap if he makes one of the three All-NBA teams. Even with his making his first All-Star team, that seemed relatively unlikely until the last couple of weeks. However, the Pistons' ascension to the p-p-p-playoffs? (yes, really) and a winning record, if they maintain it, would make him a much more viable candidate on All-NBA ballots. He needs to play 13 more games to qualify. Even making the third team would boost Cunningham's 2025-26 salary to 30 percent of the cap. It would also potentially complicate Detroit's cap-room scenarios for next summer, although one unexpected twist to their success — owing a lottery-protected first-round pick to Minnesota — will offset some of Cunningham's dough on the salary sheet. Wembanyama's and Davis' statuses also make for an interesting situation in Sacramento, on two levels. First, Dallas and San Antonio were in the thick of a West playoff race that also includes the Kings, and that matters because the Kings owe a top-12 protected first to Atlanta this year. Basically, if the Kings make the Play-In Tournament, Atlanta probably gets the pick. (There also is a delectable scenario where the Hawks enter the final week of the season locked into ninth in the East and tank games to ensure they finish with fewer wins than the Kings.) The Spurs likely fading from that race — they were beaten badly by the lowly New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday and have been thrashed by 7.8 points per 100 possessions in the non-Wembanyama minutes this season — greases the way for the currently 10th-place Kings. Sacramento is two games behind Dallas and wins the tiebreaker, but even if the Kings can't catch the Mavs, they just need to hold off a flagging Phoenix Suns team to make the Play-In. The other angle here is that Domantas Sabonis is positioned for the Jimmy Butler Special: Making All-NBA despite not making the All-Star team — especially if Antetokounmpo doesn't get to 65 games. If it happens, that would entitle Sabonis to a $1.3 million contract bonus. Unlike the other players, that doesn't affect his salary for next season, although it does affect his cap number in 2025-26. Finally, can we talk about the draft? The Spurs have the league's 10th-worst record, but it's going to be fairly easy for them to moonwalk past a couple of teams and significantly boost their lottery odds from here. Even if they don't land top target Cooper Flagg, the Spurs should get another elite talent in a strong draft. Most likely, this isn't quite 'Finish 20-62, then add Tim Duncan to David Robinson' territory, but the Spurs still may have inadvertently stumbled into another big piece of their future. One fun leftover tidbit from the trade deadline involves trade exceptions; in particular, the choices teams make when they make the trade call with the league about how to utilize them. Ninety-nine percent of the time this 'choice' is Captain Obvious territory and requires no explanation, but every so often, a team has a dilemma. Advertisement That was the case for Atlanta when it made the De'Andre Hunter trade with Cleveland, because the Hawks already had a pre-existing trade exception worth $25.3 million from the Dejounte Murray trade. They could have recycled it into a smaller, $21.7 million exception for Hunter's contract, with a longer duration to use it (through Feb. 6 instead of July 6), by absorbing the incoming salaries of Caris LeVert and Georges Niang into the Murray exception. Instead, the Hawks opted to keep the larger exception — a choice most teams probably would have made. League sources confirmed they also generated a $13.1 million exception for the difference between the Bogdan Bogdanović and Bones Hyland salaries, by taking Terance Mann into their nontaxpayer midlevel exception; while the NTMLE should be worth a bit more than that next season (an estimated $13.6 million), it does give the Hawks some added flexibility in the summer. And that flexibility could matter. With the Hawks projected to be nearly $40 million below next year's tax line but lacking significant cap room and having multiple holes to fill, Atlanta could easily use one or both exceptions to acquire players and still use part or all of its midlevel exception to sign a free agent. Something I've been tracking since preseason: Could we have our worst-ever Play-In team? In the four years since it has been implemented, the worst record belongs to the 34-48 San Antonio team in 2021-22. However, it will take some work for the 10th-place finisher in the East to hit that mark. Through Sunday's games, the Chicago Bulls had the 10th position and were 22-35, putting them on pace to finish 32-50. The two teams breathing down their necks, so to speak, are Brooklyn and Philadelphia; the Nets are tracking to 31-51, while the Sixers are on pace for 29-53. Recent matters haven't helped the projection. Despite a 'race' for the spot, the Bulls have lost six straight, and the Sixers have dropped seven in a row; the Sixers may also shut down one or both of Joel Embiid and Paul George soon, both of whom have struggled physically. Brooklyn is openly tanking this season, having already traded Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith for draft capital and bought out Ben Simmons, and yet may back into the 10th spot by accident. Fun times! Twenty-nine NBA scouts and execs crowded into Philadelphia's tiny Hagan Arena on Saturday to see St. Joseph's play a matinee against an overmatched Richmond team and get eyes on Fleming. Why this game, in particular? Because the entire league was making its way to New York for three other knockout scouting games over the weekend, and this was the aperitif. Advertisement Fleming made the most of his showcase, with 23 points and six rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting as the Hawks glided past Richmond 78-62. In particular, he showcased his increasing confidence from the 3-point line by making four of his eight attempts. Fleming has made 13 of his last 23 attempts from 3 over his past four games, but the attempts stand out as much as the makes: The eight launches he's had in each of the past two games are career highs. Fleming is shooting a sizzling 43.6 percent from 3 on the season, but that probably overstates things — he's only at 69.1 percent from the line, for instance, and his pregame shooting betrays some inconsistency with his stroke. Fleming has an interesting release — a true 'jump' shot from 3 that he bounds into very quickly, usually landing a foot or so forward from his takeoff point. He's a good leaper and can easily get his shot away over a closeout, something he showed on multiple occasions in this game. But the 3-point shooting is notable because of Fleming's other attributes. He's a plus run-jump athlete who should test well at the NBA Draft Combine and leads the Atlantic 10 in defensive rebound rate. He's also posted a respectable 4.9 percent block rate while toggling between power forward and center in St. Joe's system. Oddly, the Hawks had him playing an extremely deep drop in his minutes at center (I'm talking coal-mine deep), even though it seems he could be more switchable on the perimeter. While the combo of athleticism and shooting will tempt teams in the back half of the first round, the limits on Fleming's stock are tied to his age and ball skills. He's not going to create a play with the ball in his hands and has a limited post-up arsenal, and as an upperclassman in a mid-major league, he should be dominating if he's an NBA player. Overall, however, the game against Richmond probably helped cement his case as a player of interest in the back half of the first round on draft night. His chances to move up beyond that may be limited, however, given his lack of on-ball juice and relatively few showcase games the rest of the way. (St. Joe's seems unlikely to make the NCAA tournament.) (Top photo of Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Washington Post
28-01-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Knicks surpass 140 for second straight game, snap Grizzlies' 6-game win streak with 143-106 rout
NEW YORK — Mikal Bridges had 28 points, six assists and five rebounds, and the New York Knicks snapped the Memphis Grizzlies' six-game winning streak with a resounding 143-106 win on Monday night. Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson had 20 points and six assists for the Knicks, who scored 143 points for the second straight game and won their fourth straight. New York (31-16) won for the 16th time in its past 22 games. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 21 points for Memphis, and Desmond Bane chipped in 16. The Grizzlies fell for just the fourth time in 18 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
