Grizzlies Big Man To Miss A Month Due To Ankle Injury

Just when the Memphis Grizzlies appeared to have found a flow — it stopped. Zach Edey, the Grizzlies' second-year big man, is expected to miss at least a month with a stress reaction in his left ankle, and the timing is absolutely brutal for a Grizzlies team that desperately needs some positive vibes to help climb into the Western Conference playoff race.

The Grizzlies had won seven of their last nine games with Edey anchoring the middle, finally looking like the playoff contender everyone expected. Now they're sitting ninth in the Western Conference at 11–13, four games out of the sixth spot and 2.5 games ahead of tenth-seeded Dallas, and the cushion may get smaller without their man in the middle.

What makes the loss of Edey particularly painful is that Memphis has outscored opponents by 18.3 points per 100 possessions with the Canadian big man on the court, posting a defensive rating of 94.5. The 7-foot-3 sophomore was averaging a double-double with 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, becoming exactly what this franchise hoped for when they drafted him with the ninth pick in 2024.

Unfortunately for Edey and the Grizzlies, the ankle issues are becoming a common occurrence. Edey had surgery on his left ankle last June and missed the first 13 games this season. Having played just 11 games before this setback and 66 in his rookie year, for a young big man still adjusting to the NBA's physical grind, the injury concerns are real.

Memphis will lean on Jock Landale and ask Jaren Jackson Jr. to play more center, but neither replicates what Edey brings. Aside from the OKC Thunder, the playoff race in the West is a bloodbath where just three games separate the second and sixth seed and five games separate the four teams currently battling for play-in berths, and the Grizzlies are about to head into the new year without their defensive anchor and best rebounder.

The Grizzlies started 4–9 without Edey to begin the season. If that pattern repeats, their playoff hopes might be on life support by January.