Ja Morant, last year’s Rookie of the Year for the Memphis Grizzlies, is expected to miss 3-5 weeks after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain in Monday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets. We’re going to take a closer look at his injury and Grade 2 ankle sprains in today’s blog.
Morant suffered the injury after landing on an opponent’s foot when trying to block a shot. This video shows the sprain from a few different angles. As he lands, Morant’s left foot turns outward pretty severely. You can tell he’s in significant pain right away, as he immediately hops on his one good ankle over towards his team’s bench, where he soon collapses in discomfort. He was later taken to the locker room via wheelchair, and Grizzlies Nation held their breath to see what a diagnosis would bring.
All things considered, it could have been much worse for Morant, who was diagnosed with a Grade 2 ankle sprain after X-rays showed no fractures. A day later, an MRI confirmed the severity of the ligament damage. He is expected to miss about a month with the injury.
Grade 2 Ankle Sprains And Morant’s Recovery
The ankle sprain looked particularly nasty, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if Morant had actually fractured a bone in the area. That said, just because there is no bone break, it doesn’t mean this will be a simple recovery. Grade 2 ankle sprains are categorized by partial tearing of the lateral ankle ligaments on the outer side of the ankle, and there will be abnormal looseness in the ankle when the joint is manipulated by a doctor. This looseness and ligament damage can cause more problems down the road if the injury is not carefully addressed.
It’s not enough to just let time and natural healing run its course, Grade 2 sprains require targeted physical therapy in order to strengthen the injured area. This area needs to be restrengthened and stabilized so that it can handle the stress that comes with normal ankle movement and pressure. This is especially true for professional basketball players who will be putting more stress on their ankle joints than the average person. If not carefully treated, Morant could be susceptible to repeated ankle sprains, and this could lead to even more ligament damage or a fracture.
We’ve seen this play out with Steph Curry, who has suffered repeated ankle sprains throughout his career. Curry can compensate for this ankle instability because he is one of if not the best shooter in the league, whereas Morant’s game relies on driving, cutting and getting to the hoop to score. That’s not to say he can’t shoot well, but he relies more heavily on getting past guys to be effective. If his ankle ligaments slow him down or force him to change what he does well, this could have long-term implications for his future.
However, we’re not the only foot specialist who is aware of how this ankle injury could play out, and he has some of the best medical staff in the business at his disposal. We’re confident that he’ll get the right care and commit to a physical therapy plan. While it may affect the Grizzlies in the short-term, we don’t expect the injury to have any affect on Morant’s long-term prospects as a player. We wish him the best in his recovery.