How Justise Winslow’s injury impacts the Memphis Grizzlies
When it was announced that the Memphis Grizzlies had acquired Justise Winslow from the Miami Heat as part of a bigger package centered around Andre Iguodala, many applauded the team. And it was pretty apparent why. The Grizzlies traded an aging veteran who clearly didn’t want to play for the team in exchange for an exciting young up-and-coming player.
Five months after the trade, and a four-month hiatus later, Winslow has still yet to play a game for the Grizzlies. Winslow was expected to play for the Grizzlies in the restart, but that plan has now changed after he sustained a hip injury in Monday’s team practice.
"[via NBA.com]"
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"During Monday’s practice, Justise Winslow fell after absorbing contact during an intra-squad scrimmage. Medical evaluation revealed a hip injury, which will cause him to miss the rest of the season."
This is truly something you hate to see, especially for both the Grizzlies and Justise Winslow. The trade aside, this is a player that had just overcome a back injury that forced him to miss much of the season with the Heat, before the trade deadline deal.
Looking back at the final statistical performance for the 2019-20 season, Winslow averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 39 percent shooting from the field in just 11 games played.
The impact for the Memphis Grizzlies
In short, this season will be one to forget for Winslow. As far as the Grizzlies are concerned, it would’ve been great to have a healthy Winslow with Ja Morant and the other young players in the bubble.
Instead, Winslow will have to wait until the start of the 2020-21 season to make his debut with the Grizzlies. This will have implications on the team as a whole and how they approach the offseason. Maybe my speculation could be off here, but without having a healthy Winslow in the bubble (eight games and potentially a playoff series) it throws a wrench in their offseason approach.
Do the Grizzlies know what position Winslow will play for the team? Will he play behind Morant? With him? As a small forward or power forward on the first unit? Will they view him as a depth player in the frontcourt or a project in the backcourt?
Even though the scouting department likely has an idea of where they believe/would like or expect Justise to play, there’s no telling until he actually plays meaningful basketball games with the team. Or, at the very least, has a training camp under his belt.
Hopefully, this most recent injury is just a bump in the road for Justise Winslow and his new start with the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s a shame he won’t be participating in the NBA’s restart, though.