The post-Ja Morant era for the Memphis Grizzlies is not off to a smooth start. While awaiting how they will navigate what already looks like a challenging season, they also know they must begin it without one of their new arrivals, Isaiah Stewart.
The center, who arrived in Tennessee via a late-June trade, suffered a sprained left ankle on October 6 against the Atlanta Hawks, an injury that, according to the Grizzlies, will keep him off the court for at least two weeks.
With the regular season set to tip off in ten days, it’s now certain that the big man won’t be available at that moment; even more so considering that Memphis plans to re-evaluate the area in roughly 14 days, which places us around October 24-25. Here is the brief medical update.
After six seasons with the Detroit Pistons, the franchise that drafted him 16th overall in the 2020 draft, Stewart begins this campaign with the Grizzlies as a way to reassert himself, confident that they count on him—something especially significant after realizing that in Michigan’s organization he had come to be viewed as little more than a trade piece.
Isaiah Stewart, Part of Memphis’ Renaissance
With Ja Morant’s trade to the Portland Trail Blazers, a new era opened for the Grizzlies, who in the draft added one of the most coveted rookies of his class, Cameron Boozer—just as we noted in the team’s preview. There is a renewed air in Tennessee, and within that rebuilding project Stewart’s experience and passion serve as a bridge toward a competitive squad.
Obviously, it is disappointing that he cannot be in the starting five, but this is not a serious injury, and he is expected to contribute his part to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.
