The Portland Trail Blazers are suddenly staring at a backcourt shakeup after Ja Morant went down with a left hamstring injury in the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
A team press release said: "Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant sustained a left hamstring injury during last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Imaging revealed a grade two left hamstring strain. Morant will be re-evaluated in four weeks,"
Morant’s night ended after 23 minutes, and he did not return after leaving early. After the game, Blazers head coach Micah Nori described what happened and how the decision played out.
"It was a little bit of a felt a twinge, and then I was trying to take a foul to get him out, and we were forcing turnovers, and so we had to make a few more runs than what I wanted him to," Nori said. "But I think it was just more of a felt-at-winge. We're going to evaluate him now, and then probably have more answers for you tomorrow after they look at him."
With Morant out, Portland has to reshuffle its point guard rotation, and it at least has options. Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson are the two names to watch, with Holiday looking like the likelier first choice to move into the starting role because of his experience. Holiday is averaging 25.3 minutes per game, while Henderson is at 18.8, and both of those numbers are set to rise.
The timetable points to Morant missing the rest of November. The plan is for him to increase his work in early December, with hopes of getting back on the floor before the end of the calendar year.
For now, the Blazers have to absorb a tough injury hit and keep moving.
They’re back in action tomorrow against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Tip-off is set for 12 pm PT at the Delta Center, with the game available on Rip City Sports Network and NBA League Pass.
In Other News...
Blazers Suddenly Face A Ja Morant Problem They Couldnt Afford
The first real chapter of the Ja Morant era in Portland already came with a jolt, and not the kind the Trail Blazers wanted. Morant faced the Grizzlies for the first time since arriving in the trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis, and the night ended early in the fourth quarter when he exited with a left hamstring injury.
Now Portland has a new problem on its hands: its biggest offseason swing comes with an immediate absence attached. Morant has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least four weeks, leaving the Blazers to adjust quickly while they wait to see how long their new centerpiece is actually on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Ran Into An Early Problem Fans Knew Was Coming
The unbeaten start is over for Portland after a lopsided loss to Memphis, and the old warning sign showed up quickly. The Blazers never found rhythm from deep, with Damian Lillard going 1-of-9 from three-point range and the team as a whole missing more often than not in a night where the perimeter shot simply would not cooperate.
For a Portland team that has leaned on spacing and shot-making, the bigger concern was how little relief it found when the outside looks stopped falling. The Blazers finished 12-of-49 from beyond the arc, and that kind of night turned a promising early-season run into a frustrating reminder of how fragile those margins can be. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Fans Have Another Robert Williams Concern To Watch
Robert Williams has already given Blazers fans enough reason to track every injury report, and the latest reminder came amid a busy night around the league that featured a few notable health scares. In Utah, rookie guard Darryn Peterson put up 18 points in 26 minutes during the Jazzs loss to San Antonio, only to sit the final seven minutes and overtime as head coach Will Hardy leaned on Brice Sensabaughs scoring late. Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic logged his 200th regular-season triple-double in a win over New Orleans, while Ja Morant left early with a left hamstring injury.
For Portland, the Williams item is the one that matters most, because his availability has been such a constant question mark since arriving. A sore knee kept him out of a game, and for a Blazers team trying to get a read on its rotation and frontcourt depth, every missed appearance adds another layer of uncertainty. The concern is not just whether Williams can return, but whether he can stay on the floor long enough to become the kind of stabilizing piece Portland was hoping for. [Read more 🡒]