The Memphis Grizzlies did not need more chaos, but chaos showed up anyway, wearing a jersey with “12” on the back. Ja Morant, the engine, heartbeat, and occasional defier of gravity, is now officially sidelined with a Grade 1 right calf strain, turning an already turbulent season into something that resembles a weather warning.

On November 17, the Grizzlies confirmed that Morant will be out for at least two weeks, with a re-evaluation set for December 1. The word “mild” is in the diagnosis, but nothing feels mild when a team already hanging by a thread suddenly loses the guy holding the thread.

Let’s break down exactly what happened, what it means, and why Memphis is bracing for impact.

Morant looked sharp early, 7 points on perfect shooting in six minutes, until a routine drive turned into another “wait… what just happened?” moment. With 6:01 left in the first quarter, Ja pulled up awkwardly, grabbed the back of his right leg, and limped off.

Non-contact. Sudden. Not a good combination.

Doctors later confirmed the mild Grade 1 strain  micro-tears in the calf, the soft-tissue equivalent of your muscles texting “bro I’m tired.” No surgery needed, but the type of thing you never want to rush back from, especially when your whole game is built on explosive torque and violent vertical takeoff.

And in case you’re keeping score, yes, this comes just days after right ankle soreness and earlier in the year, a string of lower-body nuisances. The Grizzlies didn’t just lose a player; they lost the one guy they can’t protect from himself

A Grade 1 strain is the best-case scenario inside the worst-case moment, roughly 7 to 21 days of recovery for NBA players, with an average closer to two weeks if rehab goes smoothly. But here’s the catch: Morant isn’t a “glide around casually” player. He’s a nuclear athlete whose legs are under more stress than most superstars.

This injury lives in the same ZIP code as Achilles trouble, ankle re-aggravations, and hamstring blowouts. And the numbers back it up upto 90% return fully within 28 days, but re-aggravation in high-intensity players spikes dramatically if they rush the ramp-up.

Memphis knows this. They can’t afford another setback. And honestly… neither can Ja.

When Will He Return

The Grizzlies circled December 1 as the re-evaluation date, but that is not the return date; it’s basically a mid-semester parent-teacher meeting.

Here’s Ja’s likely progression:

• Now through late November:
  Rest, controlled movement, treatment, zero risks. If he jumps, someone might actually tackle him.
• Late November:
  Spot shooting, straight-line jogging, pool work, and change-of-direction tests the stuff trainers call “fun” but players hate.
• Around Dec. 1 re-eval:
  Imaging + functional tests. This is where the Grizzlies decide if he can rejoin practice.
• Early–Mid December:
  REALISTIC return window. Memphis will almost certainly restrict minutes to avoid turning one mild strain into a six-week saga.

Best case? Early December.
More realistic? December 5–12.
Worst case? A setback. Nobody wants that movie.

Why This Feels Especially Grim for Memphis

This isn’t just about losing a star. It’s about losing this star at this moment in this season.

Memphis is sitting at 4–10, losers of eight of their last nine, and already running a skeleton crew due to injuries and absences. Their guard depth looks like it was pulled from a summer rec league:

• Ty Jerome – calf strain (out)
  
• Scotty Pippen Jr. – toe issue
  
• Brandon Clarke – still ramping up
  
• GG Jackson, Jaylen Wells – talented but not primary creators
  
• Two-way Jahmai Mashack – welcome to the fire
  

Even Zach Edey, who finally debuted in the Cavs game, can’t fix the fact that Memphis now lacks the only player who reliably bends defenses.

And the schedule is a nightmare buffet:

• Spurs
  
• Kings
  
• Nuggets
  
• Pelicans
  
• Kings again
  
• Spurs again
  
• Rockets
  
• Lakers
  
• Suns
  
• Timberwolves
  

Every night feels like a boss level. Morant’s injuries aren’t isolated anymore. They’re becoming connective tissue in his career story.

• Shoulder surgery ended 2023–24.
  
• Hip strain in 2024–25.
  
• Multiple ankle issues this season.
  
• Then the calf.
  

When you pair that with his hyper-athletic style, heavy usage, and off-court turbulence from past seasons, it becomes fair, not disrespectful, to wonder: Can Memphis build a stable long-term contender around a superstar who keeps being unavailable at the worst possible times?

This doesn’t mean the Grizzlies should trade him. But it does mean every injury feels like another layer of anxiety for the front office, for fans, and even for Ja. Short answer: chaos, hope, and a whole lot of “let’s just survive until Ja returns.”

Long answer:

• The Grizzlies will be competitive some nights but will struggle to close games.
  
• Desmond Bane will shoulder too much.
  
• Jaren Jackson Jr. will probably be overextended.
  
• Taylor Jenkins will be praying to the basketball gods hourly.
  
• And fans will count down the days until December like it’s a holiday.
  

The good news? A Grade 1 strain is recoverable. It’s not a season-killer. It’s not even a December-killer… as long as the timeline stays clean.

The bad news? Memphis doesn’t have any margin left for error. The Grizzlies’ season wasn’t trending in the right direction before Ja Morant grabbed his right calf. Now it feels like someone cut the brakes. If Memphis gets a healthy, fully recharged Ja back in early December, they can still salvage something out of this mess. But until then?

It’s damage control. It’s survival mode. And it’s hoping this “mild” strain doesn’t turn into something the Grizzlies will regret rushing.

One thing’s certain: December can’t come fast enough for Memphis.