Grizzlies Face Unexpected Setback as Scotty Pippen Jr. Sidelined for Three Months After Mysterious Toe Surgery

Man, you can’t make this stuff up… just as the Memphis Grizzlies tip off their season, the injury bug comes waltzing in like an uninvited guest at a dinner party. Ja Morant—yes, the guy we all want to see dominating—their cornerstone, is limping on the edge as he battles an ankle sprain that’s got everyone biting their nails wondering if he’ll make the opener. And if that wasn’t enough, their big men Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are sidelined too, adding to this mounting headache. Now toss Scotty Pippen Jr. into this chaotic mix, and the plot thickens: he’s out for at least the next three months after a sesamoidectomy — that’s a fancy word for removing a tiny bone buried in the big toe that’s been causing him trouble. Crazy stuff, right? With Ty Jerome possibly stepping up — big if, given his own recent calf issues — there’s suddenly a ton of pressure on whoever fills these gaps, especially after Desmond Bane’s move to Orlando. Memphis has wrestled with injuries for seasons, and you gotta feel for them; the team really needs a stretch of good health to figure out what kind of threat they really are. The pain, the perseverance, the unknowns—it all sets the stage for a season that’s as much about endurance as talent. LEARN MORE

It’s early in the season, but injuries are hitting the Grizzlies hard. Ja Morant is in question for the opener recovering from an ankle sprain, while centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are both out as well due to injuries.

Now add Scotty Pippen Jr. to the mix, with the team announcing he will miss at least three months following surgery on his left big toe.

A Sesamoidectomy is the removal of a small, round bone — maybe the size of a pea or smaller — embedded within tendons around the big toe. Those bones help absorb pressure and facilitate movement, but can lead to pain when chronically stressed.

Ty Jerome will likely see an increase in minutes with Pippen out (as long as Jerome is healthy, he left the final Grizzlies preseason game with a calf issue). With Desmond Bane now in Orlando, more was going to fall on the plate of Pippen and now someone else needs to step up in those minutes.

Memphis has been hit hard by injuries in the past few seasons, an issue that began with Morant, who has played in just 59 games over those two seasons. The Grizzlies need a mostly healthy season to get a sense of just how good this team is and what needs to come next.