Reigning Rookie of the Year Ja Morant expected to miss three to five weeks with ankle sprain

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is expected to miss the next three to five weeks recovering from a left ankle injury, the team announced (via Twitter). According to the Grizzlies, Morant was diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain after undergoing tests.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury on Monday night in the second quarter of Memphis’ game vs. the Nets when he landed on Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot‘s foot while trying to contest a shot. He left the court area on a wheelchair.

While the injury could have been worse, it’s still an unfortunate setback for Morant, who was looking to build off his Rookie of the Year campaign and was off to a strong start this season. In his two full games before suffering the injury on Monday, he averaged 36.0 PPG and 8.0 APG on .583/.333/.813 shooting.

With Morant sidelined, the Grizzlies will have to lean more heavily on Tyus Jones in the short term. De’Anthony Melton also should see an uptick in minutes once he clears the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.