Morant misses practice but should be good to go for Opening Night

MEMPHIS – While Ja Morant said his ankle was fine and head coach Taylor Jenkins termed the injury a minor little tweak, Morant did not practice Wednesday for the Grizzlies.

Morant turned his ankle in the second quarter of Monday’s night’s preseason win over the Mavericks, and while he would return, Morant checked out for good midway though the third quarter, still hobbling a bit on that right ankle.

While the injury doesn’t seem likely to keep Morant out of Opening Night, he has likely played in his last preseason game and has almost a zero chance of playing Thursdaywhen the Grizzlies host the Hornets inside FedExForum.

“No. No practice today. He had an MRI yesterday. It’s kind of a mild sprain,” Jenkins said. “We expect him to be ready for opening night against Utah, but we’re gonna be cautious over the next couple of weeks. You know, just with that ankle sprain.”

The same kind of cautious approach the team is taking with franchise big man Jaren Jackson Junior.  Jackson tweaked his hamstring on the first day of training camp and is also expected to sit out the preseason but be good to go with the Grizzlies tip off a new season, October 23rd in Utah against the Jazz.

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