After missing his fifth game on Friday, Ja Morant will return for Saturday’s contest as he hopes to lead the Grizzlies over the Wizards.
It certainly hasn’t taken long for Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies to become one of the NBA’s most talked about rookies. Morant recently missed four contests due to a back injury and it appears that the Grizzlies want to ease the promising neophyte back into the lineup.
Morant returned to action for the club’s Dec. 9 contest against the Golden State Warriors and also played in their Dec. 11 competition versus the Phoenix Suns — both wins.
The team strategically sat Morant down for “injury maintenance” in their Friday night loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, but Morant, it seems, was only being eased back into the lineup and was being protected from the enviable predicament of having to play three games in four nights and four games in six.
As a result, he’s set to return to the lineup after a one-game absence when the Grizzlies seek to secure a victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday. If successful, Memphis will have won three games in four tries for just the second time this season.
While the Grizzlies enter the contest with a 7-18 record on the season, they’re just 1-4 in the contests that Morant has missed this season. The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year on per-game averages of 18.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.3 assists.
Previewing Saturday’s Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Washington Wizards (7-16) and Memphis Grizzlies (8-17) square off at FedExForum in Memphis at 8 p.m. ET Saturday. We analyze the Wizards-Grizzlies odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.
Wizards at Grizzlies: Key injuries
Wizards: PG Isaiah Thomas (calf) and SG Isaac Bonga (head) are both question marks, while PF Moritz Wagner (ankle) is out.
Grizzlies: SG Grayson Allen (ankle), PF Brandon Clarke (oblique) and PG Ja Morant (back) are each listed as questionable.
Wizards at Grizzlies: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.
The WIZARDS (-115) are worth a look as slight favorites on the road, as the Grizzlies (-105) are playing the second end of a back-to-back set and they’re likely to have tired legs.
The WIZARDS(-1.5, -105) are a solid 7-5 on the road this season. They’re also a well rested side, and they’re 3-0-1 ATS in the past four when working on three or more days of rest.
The Grizzlies (+1.5, -115) are just 5-16 ATS in the past 21 when playing in the second end of a back-to-back, while going 2-5 ATS in the past seven overall at home.
Take the OVER 234.5 (-115) with or without Thomas’ involvement for the Wizards. The Under is 5-2 in the past seven for Memphis, still, the Grizzlies are unlikely to play strong defense while working on no rest. Tired legs lead to lazy defense.
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The writers and directors of “Uncut Gems,” brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, arranged a private showing of the movie for the Grizzlies.
With the nationwide release of the upcoming “Uncut Gems” movie set for Christmas Day, the basketball world finds itself at the center of Hollywood in the new drama starring Adam Sandler and Kevin Garnett.
Sandler plays a charismatic Manhattan jeweler that makes a series of high-stakes bets while Garnett plays himself during his time with the Boston Celtics. The film features several real-life snippets of the Celtics’ playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012.
As Zach Lowe of ESPN recently detailed, the writers and directors of the movie, brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, arranged a private showing for the Memphis Grizzlies as rookie Ja Morant later thanked them with an autographed jersey.
The Safdies organized a private screening for the Memphis Grizzlies. To their delight, Ja Morant later sent them an autographed jersey with a message, “To Josh and Benny, much love,” Josh Safdie said. “You know how cool that jersey is gonna be in 10 years?” Safdie added.
Morant isn’t the only rookie to have caught the upcoming flick, Celtics two-way rookie Tacko Fall attended a regional premiere in Boston with several other members of the organization. Fall even met Garnett, later posting a picture to his Instagram account of the two.
With plenty of basketball references throughout, “Uncut Gems” should be a must-watch for all fans as it is beginning to gain award buzz for the acting of Sandler, Garnett and others.
After each recently suffering injuries, Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke will sit on the first night of a back-to-back on Friday night.
Memphis Grizzlies rookies Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke will not play Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks due to injury maintenance, the team announced on Thursday afternoon.
Both will be available to play Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
Morant recently missed four games after dealing with back soreness following a collision with a courtside camera operator. He scored a team-high 26 points in his return on Monday against the Golden State Warriors and tallied 13 points on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies announced on Dec. 3 that Clarke would be considered week-to-week with an aggravated sore left oblique muscle. Clarke missed four games before returning on Wednesday as he recorded 15 points and seven rebounds.
Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke will not play Friday vs @Bucks but will be available Saturday vs @WashWizards. In conjunction with their recent respective injuries, Morant tomorrow will be listed as “OUT–Injury Maintenance–Back" and Clarke as “OUT–Injury Maintenance–LT Oblique."
The Grizzlies have been cautious with injuries this season, especially to their two rookie players. The organization will certainly monitor their progress and the two could be subject to resting in back-to-backs for the foreseeable future.
Morant leads all rookies in scoring average (18.7) and assists (6.4) this season while Clarke is 10th in scoring (12.0), first in field-goal percentage (63.8) and second in rebounding (5.9).
Ja Morant finally had his signature dunk on Wednesday night and social media absolutely loved it.
Even some 12 hours later, social media is still buzzing over Ja Morant.
In case you haven’t seen it a dozen times already on your timeline, the Memphis Grizzlies rookie threw down the dunk of the season Wednesday night over Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes though calling it just a dunk seems downright disrespectful to Morant.
With less than 50 seconds left in a two-possession game, Morant found himself matched up in a 1-on-1 situation with Baynes. It is the situation all point guards dream of and one that Baynes likely immediately dreaded once it happened.
Morant begins to his right, then dribbles over to his left and goes right at Baynes toward the rim. As he approaches the basket, he finishes with his right hand over Baynes and social media took over from there:
Willing to testify in court against Ja Morant as a witness in the Phoenix-area murder of Aron Baynes. I hope others have the same courage.pic.twitter.com/koMGu0m2J5
Morant finished with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in the 115-108 win over the Suns. The contest was just his second back with the Grizzlies after missing four games due to back soreness after crashing into a courtside camera operator.
The second overall pick called upon the NBA to move the photographers located on the baseline of arenas to prevent future collisions. He said that he is going to take a different approach to how he attacks the rim though his dunk over Baynes may have delayed that change.
This clutch dunk in the final minute was ridiculous.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant threw down one of the dunks of the year on Wednesday night against the Suns, which doubled as one of the most athletic fourth-quarter daggers you’ll ever see.
With the Grizzlies leading 109-105 on the road in the final minute, Morant pulled 6-foot-10 Suns center Aron Baynes out to the 3-point line, then flashed past the big man with a crossover move. Baynes tried to recover and contest the shot, but Morant took flight and threw down a right-handed dunk over Baynes’ outstretched arm as he was falling away from the basket. The bucket put the Grizzlies up by 6 with 43.4 seconds left to play, and they held on to win the game.
👀 Ja Morant with the cross and nasty poster dunk on Baynes!
Rookie Wire takes a look at the top rookies through the seventh week of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant recently returned after missing four games due to back soreness after crashing into a courtside camera operator.
With Zion Williamson out following knee surgery, the top of the rookie class took a hit over the past week with Morant out of the lineup and R.J. Barrett struggling to stay consistent.
Of course, Morant returned on Monday night to lead the Grizzlies to a win over the Golden State Warriors. He recorded a team-high 26 points in that game and reasserted himself as the top rookie to this point of the season.
As Morant showed so signs of slowing down following his injury, some other rookies are beginning to pick up steam as the NBA begins the second quarter of the season.
Rookie Wire will compile the rankings of the five best players each week based on how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the top-performing players.
Here are the Rookie Wire Power Rankings for Week 7:
All stats are through games played on Dec. 10
5. De’Andre Hunter, Hawks
Stats: 12.8 points, 4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Rank Last Week: Honorable Mention
Speaking of pick up steam, Hawks rookie De’Andre Hunter has burst onto the scene over the past few weeks. Hunter recorded a career-high 28 points on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to the Miami Heat as he shot an efficient 11-of-17 from the field. Hunter recently dealt with a dislocated right index finger but showed no signs of any issues on Tuesday night. Hunter is up to seventh in rookie scoring this season but is averaging 14.5 points per game over his six games, good for sixth-best over that time period.
After struggling with his consistency, Hachimura has quietly strung together quite a few impressive performances. The ninth overall pick has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is averaging 19.6 points over that span, the most among all rookies. Of course, that streak includes a career-high 30 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 1 and a 27-point performance two games later against the Philadelphia 76ers. The rookie appears to be finally finding his way with the Wizards and it has led to some improved play as of late.
As the Warriors struggle, Paschall is coming off of his worst outing of the season. The second-round pick recorded a season-low five points on Monday, snapping a streak of 13 consecutive games scoring in double figures. Paschall still leads the rookie class in total points scored, just topping Kendrick Nunn and Ja Morant. Paschall has thrived in isolation situations this season and has used his size and strength to get to the basket. He is having a strong rookie campaign to this point and now has the second-highest odds to win the Rookie of the Year award as a result.
The undrafted rookie reclaims the second spot in our rankings after a monster performance on Tuesday against the Hawks. Nunn recorded a career-high 36 points, finishing 14-of-26 from the field while adding six rebounds and four assists. Nunn is averaging 19 points over the past week as he appears to have broken out of a recent slump that saw him post 10.5 points over a four-game stretch. He is now just one of four rookies to record at least 30 points in a game this season, joining Eric Paschall, Ja Morant and Rui Hachimura.
As previously mentioned, Morant returned on Monday after a four-game absence to lead the Grizzlies with 26 points in the win over the Warriors. Morant showed no signs of any lingering back issues during the game and fooled a number of Warriors players on a nifty pass fake for an easy bucket. The Grizzlies likely held Morant out to fully heal as the injury was not considered to be serious but it was certainly a plus to have Morant back out on the court Monday night.
Herro had back-to-back performances of at least 20 points over the weekend but followed that up by going scoreless Tuesday night in 23 minutes of action. Herro is tied with R.J. Barrett for fifth in scoring among rookies but his zero-point outing against the Hawks shouldn’t be a cause for concern moving forward.
Washington hit a bit of a wall toward the end of November but has come on strong for the Hornets since then. He is averaging 14.9 points and 4.4 rebounds over his last eight games, including a 20-point performance against the Hawks on Sunday. Perhaps most impressive in that outing is Washington got to the free-throw line 13 times, converting on 12 shots.
Reddish is fifth in scoring among all rookies over the last week, averaging 14.7 points while shooting 50% (7-of-14) from 3-point range. Reddish had a career-high 25 points on Dec. 4 as he continues to flash his potential this season.
Hayes is finding consistent playing time now and is producing as a result. He is averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in five December games and has scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time this season.
Thybulle recorded a career-high 20 points on Sunday and followed that up with 13 points Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets. He is shooting 52.9% (9-of-17) from 3-point range over his last four games as he appears to be settling in with the Sixers.
Shout Out:
Luguentz Dort, Thunder
After beginning the season in the G League with the OKC Blue, Dort has spent the past three games in the NBA with the Thunder. He recorded his first bucket on Sunday and had nine points on Monday night.
With Zion Williamson sidelined, Morant has established himself as the top rookie of the class after his tremendous start.
Memphis Grizzlies first-round pick Ja Morant is the favorite to win the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year award, according to online sportsbook SportsBetting.ag.
With Zion Williamson sidelined this season following knee surgery, Morant has established himself as the top rookie of the class after his tremendous start.
The second overall pick is averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 18 games this season. Morant is leading all rookies in scoring average and assists, while he is fourth in 3-point percentage (43.2) among first-year players to appear in at least 10 games.
While Morant is the favorite now in the updated odds released on Tuesday, Eric Paschall and Kendrick Nunn have gained traction in the race after their strong starts to the season. The two players are second and third in scoring, respectively, among all rookies.
The full odds for the top seven, via SportsBetting:
Ja Morant: +150
Eric Paschall: +500
Kendrick Nunn: +500
Zion Williamson: +500
R.J. Barrett: +600
Rui Hachimura: +1000
Coby White: +1600
As the NBA recently crossed over the quarter mark of the season, the odds will certainly continue to fluctuate as players separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
The second overall led the Grizzlies to victory on Monday, finishing 8-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant returned from a four-game absence to score a team-high 26 points in a 110-102 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.
Morant was held out of action due to back soreness after taking a fall into a baseline camera operator on Nov. 25. The second overall led the Grizzlies to victory on Monday, finishing 8-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, while dishing out seven assists.
Morant showed no signs of any lingering back issues during the game. The injury was not considered to be serious as the Grizzlies have taken a cautious approach with injuries this season. Morant was electric throughout the night and even fooled several Warriors players on a pass fake late in the game.
Morant made the Warriors on a number of open 3-point shot attempts. Defenders often went under on the pick-and-rolls, which left Morant open for the shot. After a brief time off the court, Morant continued to show off his craftiness and ability to take over games.
Next up for the Grizz: A road matchup with the Suns on Wednesday.
The Golden State Warriors got a taste of why Ja Morant is considered a favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
After beating the Chicago Bulls in the final chapter of a five-game road trip, the Golden State Warriors had a chance to start their first winning streak in 2019 with the Memphis Grizzlies coming to town. The Grizzlies lost nine of their last 10 before heading to San Francisco, while the Warriors were getting healthy for the first time in 2019— everything seemed to be lining up in Golden State’s favor.
The Grizzlies had a different plan— to shoot the three-pointer, and the Warriors couldn’t stop them. The Grizzlies cashed 15 threes on a whopping 40 attempts from beyond the arc. Seven different Memphis players knocked down three-pointer’s, including both of the Grizzlies bigs, Jaren Jackson and Jonas Valanciunas.
The Warriors could never match the Grizzlies shooting effort, only shooting 38 percent from the field, but where Golden State got hurt was turning the basketball over. The Warriors couldn’t get out of their own way, ending the night with 17 turnovers.
Golden State tried to scrap back into the game, cutting the Grizzlies lead to single digits in the final minutes. However, a stellar fourth quarter by Ja Morant sealed the Memphis 110-102 win.
Battle for Rookie of the Year
The days of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph traveling to the Bay Area for a playoff matchup against Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are gone. Instead, the Grizzlies-Warriors matchup headlined a pair of rookies. Both Morant and Eric Paschall are Rookie of the Year contenders and went toe-to-toe Monday night.
Although there was hype, it was a one-person show with the Memphis rookie landing the knockout punch. Morant dropped 25 points with seven assists, while Paschall had a disappointing performance, only tallying five points and two rebounds.
Morant’s best moment of the night came on a flashy dribbling clinic that left Alec Burks looking in a different direction. Paschall will get another crack at Morant when the Warriors head to Memphis on January 12.
After missing the past 21-games, second-year guard, Jacob Evans returned to the floor for Golden State, giving the Warriors their most substantial bench since the opening week of the season. Evans only totaled 11-minutes, adding two points, one rebound, and one assist. Evans will slowly be worked back into Steve Kerr’s rotation as he continues to get his feet under him in his sophomore NBA season.
Draymond Green Season High
Draymond Green tied his 2019 season-high in scoring with 16 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, a positive sign for the Warriors All-Star. Green was aggressive on the offensive side, which has turned into a rare occasion for the former Defensive Player of the Year. If the Warriors want to hang in games, while Curry and Thompson are out, they need Green to be active offensively.
With the 2019-20 season looking like a developmental year for Golden State, Green should push to work on his offensive game before next season when the Splash Brothers return healthy.
