Author: Monojit Mandal
The Memphis Grizzlies are likely to lose forward Steven Adams in the NBA playoffs.
Adams is expected to miss the postseason due to a knee injury, according to team sources. Adams, who signed a two-year $25.2 million contract with the Grizzlies in the off-season, hasn’t played since spraining his posterior cruciate ligament on January 22 during an attempt to catch a loose ball against the Phoenix Suns. In early March, he received a stem cell injection to treat the injury, which ruled him out for the rest of the regular season.
This season, the 29-year-old New Zealander averaged 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 42 games for the Grizzlies. With him in the line-up, the team went 28-14. Memphis’ injury problems are exacerbated by Adams’ absence, as reserve forward Brandon Clarke is also expected to miss the playoffs due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Xavier Tillman Sr. stepped in admirably in Adams’ absence, averaging 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 29 games. The Grizzlies increased their depth in the frontcourt by signing rookie forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. for four years and $7 million. Lofton, the G League Rookie of the Year, would have been ineligible for the postseason roster had he remained on a two-way deal.
The Grizzlies waived rookie point guard Kennedy Chandler, a second-round selection, to make room for Lofton. Despite these changes, the club faces a difficult playoff task because it is second in the Western Conference and will face significant competition from the best teams in the conference.
As the playoffs approach, Grizzlies fans will be looking to Tillman and Lofton to provide the spark the club needs to fight for the title. With a tough road ahead, it will be intriguing to see how the team responds to the task and whether they can overcome the odds and create history in Memphis.