Ja Morant Injury Triggers Another Memphis Grizzlies Tumble in Power Rankings

The team is without its star point guard once again.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant passes the ball as Atlanta Hawks center Christian Koloko defends. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Memphis Grizzlies are being bit by the injury bug once again as Ja Morant sprained his elbow and will be out for at least three weeks.

Morant's injury prompted NBA.com writer John Schuhmann to move the Grizzlies down four spots in his latest power rankings. The team sits at No. 23 after being No. 19 a week ago.

"The Grizzlies have lost Ja Morant to another injury (elbow sprain), and they dropped two close games last week to return to the bottom five in the West," Schuhmann wrote.

"Their game against the Nuggets on Sunday would have been the start of the Grizzlies’ only stretch of five games in seven days, but it was postponed. So they’ll be rested in Houston (assuming they can make it there) on Monday night, and they’ll likely face a schedule pinch at some point down the line."

Memphis Grizzlies forward Vince Williams Jr. drives to the basket as New Orleans Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic defends. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Grizzlies Move Down in Power Rankings

The only teams that rank below the Grizzlies in the power rankings are the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards.

With the trade deadline approaching, there is a chance the Morant era in Memphis may be over. It all depends on what the front office decides to do with the former All-Star floor general.

"Morant totaled 47 points and 25 assists (in less than 60 total minutes) over his two games back, but will now be out for at least another three weeks. So it’s again possible that he’s played his last game with the Grizzlies. They have a better record without him (11-12) than they do with him (7-13) this season, though their offense has been equally efficient (113.1 points scored per 100 possessions) whether he’s played or not," Schuhmann wrote.

This means that the Grizzlies could be looking at a greener outlook, especially if they are getting a good haul for Morant that better fits the roster. It remains to be seen what the Grizzlies will do, but it's clear that these next couple weeks will be very transformative for the future of the franchise.

In the meantime, the Grizzlies are back in action tonight as they take on Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in a divisional matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT inside the Toyota Center. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.