Grizzlies get brutal offseason injury update on breakout star

The 2023-24 NBA campaign was one to forget for the Memphis Grizzlies. From a health standpoint, things were historically troublesome, and this upcoming season is starting off to a similar rocky start.

Per an official team announcement, Grizzlies ascending young wing GG Jackson II needs surgery to repair a broken right foot.

As the Grizzlies' statement notes, Jackson suffered the injury on August 27 while playing basketball outside of Dallas, Texas. The reigning All-Rookie First Team member "experienced an unstable landing," which resulted in him fracturing his fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Jackson will undergo the previously-mentioned procedure on Wednesday, September 4th. Memphis will provide further updates afterward, though the ailment will presumably sideline him indefinitely.

Grizzlies get brutal offseason injury update on breakout star GG Jackson II

The Athletic's Law Murray reported that Jackson will "likely" be out "until at least January," marking a significant loss for the Grizzlies. With the 2023 second-round pick facing an extended absence, Memphis' second unit takes a massive hit.

Memphis set a league record last season by deploying 33 players and 51 starting lineups. While the Grizzlies got ravaged by injuries, Jackson was a prime beneficiary of the issue and one of the few bright spots.

As a teenager, Jackson put himself in elite company. He became the third player his age or younger to score 20-plus points in consecutive games, joining NBA icons LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Moreover, his seven three-pointers against the Golden State Warriors on March 20th was another record-setting performance before turning 20.

The myriad of injuries Memphis dealt with last year thrust Jackson into a prominent role, which he proved he could handle. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game with .428/.357/.752 shooting splits across 48 contests.

Sans Jackson, Memphis' bench is relatively thin. The Grizzlies will have to lean heavily on Vince Williams Jr., Jake LaRavia, Olympic standout Santi Aldama and veteran sharpshooter to carry the reserves. Nonetheless, the 20-year-old is the team's best secondary scoring option, so they'll undoubtedly miss his presence.

Before the past season, the Grizzlies were the only Western Conference squad to post back-to-back 50-win efforts. Unfortunately, the litany of unfortunate maladies derailed their success. Hopefully, the Jackson news isn't the beginning of a recurring trend.