NBA

Grizzlies’ Steven Adams to miss remainder of regular season

Author photo
By
James Foglio
Author photo
James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

All posts by James Foglio
Sports Editor

Updated09 Mar 2023

Grizzlies Steven Adams to miss remainder of regular season

Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams will miss the remainder of regular season, the team announced on Thursday. The 6-foot-11 big man received a stem cell injection in his injured right knee and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, per sources.

On Jan. 22, Adams injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Memphis’ 112-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns. The 10-year veteran has remained out since then. There is no clear timetable for his return.

Referring to a few NBA betting sites, the Grizzlies have 10th-shortest odds to win the championship. Check out which sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors.

Through 42 starts this season, Adams averaged 8.6 points, a career-high 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 27 minutes per game. The Big Kiwi shot 59.7% from the floor and a career-low 36.4% at the foul line.

In the Grizzlies’ 118-108 win over the Sacramento Kings on New Year’s Day, the center logged 11 points and grabbed a career-high-tying 23 boards in 35 minutes of action. Plus, he shot 5-of-12 (41.7%) from the field.

Grizzlies center Steven Adams will miss remainder of regular season, to be re-evaluated in four weeks

During the regular season, Memphis finished 28-14 in games played with Adams. However, without the Pittsburgh product, the team has gone 10-12 so far this season. Below .500 is disappointing. For another point to note, Ja Morant was suspended for at least two games for flashing a gun at a strip club on an Instagram Live video over the weekend.

At a players-only meeting after the incident, Adams advocated for better discipline during road trips. He wants his teammate to receive help. “I’m told those in the room when Steven Adams spoke about, they knew exactly who he was directing this to,” said Shams Charania of The Athletic. “It was no one other than Ja Morant.”

“The NBA isn’t starting an investigation into the situation because their last investigation from Ja never stopped,” reported ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “They’re concerned, and they have been doing background information and gathering information even more than normal over the last few weeks trying to understand what’s going on here.”

While the Grizzlies and Kings are currently tied with the same record (38-26) in the Western Conference standings, Memphis will struggle to remain competitive without Morant. Needless to say, their playoff success depends entirely on the two-time All-Star. For rebounding and rim protection, Steven Adams is just as important as Morant.

Memphis trails the top-seeded Denver Nuggets by seven games. Though, there are only 18 games left of the regular season. If Morant can stay out of trouble, the Grizzlies will be a top contender in the playoffs. This applies especially if Adams can return. In December, the team won seven straight contests. Memphis can work around Brandon Clarke’s season-ending ACL tear.

NBA Betting Content You May Like