Why Justise Winslow’s hip injury is a major bummer for the Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies newcomer Justise Winslow will not play in Orlando.

The Memphis Grizzlies, owners of a 32-33 record, will use the NBA‘s restart as both a chance to secure a playoff spot and a litmus test to see how well their young core, led by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., is coming among. Acquired in a trade from the Miami Heat, versatile forward Justise Winslow looked to be an integral part of Memphis’ plans in Orlando, but injuries have changed everything up.

Per Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes, Winslow, who averaged 11.3 points per game on 38 percent shooting during 11 games with the Heat this season, suffered a hip injury during practice. The former Duke star who was picked ahead of Myles Turner, Devin Booker and Montrezl Harrell in 2015 will miss the entire restart.

The Memphis Grizzlies won’t get to see how Winslow meshes with this team in Disney.

Even though the Grizzlies knew that Winslow — who has played more than 68 games in a season only once in his five-year career — was an injury risk, this is a crushing loss. Even if it’s only over the course of a handful of games, the Grizzles could’ve seen if the guy who started to break out in Miami would make the transition to Memphis’ scheme.

While Winslow has never developed into the offensive force that Miami thought he would, likely due to inconsistent shooting, his stint as a point-forward with the Heat earned rave reviews. The matchup nightmares the 6-foot-8 Winslow could create on the perimeter opened up the rest of the Miami offense. While he might not fill that role full-time with Memphis, he could be a solid third or fourth scoring option, as well as a secondary/bench creator.

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The Grizzlies are obviously set at point guard, but they could use Winslow’s ability to guard multiple positions and handle the ball to great effect in Taylor Jenkins’ up-tempo offense.

While Morant, Jackson, Dillon Brooks, and Brandon Clarke might make up Memphis’ young core, there is a role on this squad for Winslow as a do-everything stopper. If he can fill the same role that Trevor Ariza filled with the Houston Rockets, then the Grizzlies could return to contention.

However, Winslow’s stint in Memphis has already started out poorly, and it could turn into a disaster if the injuries continue. Winslow is slated to make $13 million per year over the next two seasons, and it will be hard to convince the team and the fanbase that a $26 million man who can’t shoot and has been hampered by injuries is a worthwhile addition to this club. His $13 million on the books for 2021-22 is a team option, so he really only has next season to get healthy and prove his value to the Grizzlies’ accelerating rebuild.

Ja Morant might have to carry the squad after their bad injury luck.

With Winslow out, more of the burden in the short-term will fall on Morant, who is averaging 17.6 points per game in a campaign that will likely net him Rookie of the Year honors. Luckily, Morant and Jackson have been able to make the Grizzlies respectable in 2019-20, so expect more of the same in Orlando.

At his best, Winslow is a versatile stopper who can nail a couple of jumpers per game while running the point in the brief moments when Morant gets a breather. If he improves his shooting, he can fill the Ariza or Andre Iguodala role to perfection.

Unfortunately, his injury history might be enough to alter his place within the Grizzlies, as paying $13 million per year for an offensive liability with brittle bone disease isn’t the smartest use of cap space in the world. Memphis will need to wait until 2020-21 rolls around before they can finally make an adequate assessment of Winslow and his viability as a building block for this franchise.