Grizzlies' mistake: Reinserting Ja Morant after his ankle sprain

The Memphis Grizzlies survived a massive injury scare in a win against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.

Superstar point guard Ja Morant twisted his ankle on a Dallas fastbreak and immediately winced in pain.

For Grizzlies fans, it was a sudden flashback to the horrors of last season, where virtually all key players were swallowed by the injury bug. With much anticipation entering the 2024-25 NBA season, the last thing fans wanted was to be reminded of a season ago.

The Grizzlies superstar later re-entered the game, and while it may have been a sigh of relief, many questioned whether playing the guard again was a good idea.

In a meaningless preseason game, especially the first one, the safe move would've been to let Morant sit out the remainder of the game, maybe even the rest of the preseason.

Analyst calls out Grizzlies' decision on Morant

When reinserted into the lineup, the Murray State product appeared back on track. To start the third quarter, he was pushing the pace on Memphis' fast break opportunities and playing his routine brand of basketball.

He even elevated for a dunk with a little over eight minutes left in the frame. However, Ja writhed in pain when he landed and committed an intentional foul to stop the action. From there, he went straight for the locker room.

Avoiding risks: "We've seen that show before"

It's standard to see teams not take a risk with their franchise cornerstone. But Memphis elected to keep their superstar guard on the floor well into the game despite him exiting earlier with an injury. Until we see the 25-year-old back on the court again, the team will be under a hot spotlight for its decision to play Morant again.

"It never should have gotten to this point," says Grizzlies analyst Joe Mullinax of the Locked On Grizzlies show about Morant's second exit. "Ja Morant never should have returned to the game… If the Memphis Grizzlies lose Ja Morant, we've seen that show before."

Trust the player or the medical staff?

Mullinax is right that Memphis's hopes in the upcoming season depend on Morant's consistent health. The Grizzlies have been just 58-76 without their superstar facilitator since he was drafted in 2019.

Fortunately, the point guard helped alleviate some of the fans' collective fear when he said he was "good" after the game. His coach supported that with his own statement.

Expect the team to be cautious with Morant in the remaining preseason slate.

No. 12 will likely miss Memphis' preseason home opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

Related: Reasons to be excited for Ja Morant's return in 2024-25