This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
The Memphis Grizzlies' already-disappointing season took a turn for the dismal this week with the news that point guard Mario Chalmers – who had been playing very well – has a ruptured Achilles' tendon. Chalmers is (obviously) done for the year. So is Marc Gasol (broken foot). Mike Conley is battling a less-serious Achilles' injury of his own. Brandan Wright is out. And just about every other player on the roster has a "Game Time Decision" flag next to his name.
(Insert tired joke about the Memphis blues here…)
The Grizzlies' roster is so thin at this point, the team was forced to waive Chalmers to make room for a D-League call-up - and immediately install him as the starter. And that call-up - one Briante Weber - wasn't half bad in his first NBA game, playing 40 minutes and going for 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block in Memphis' overtime win over the Pelicans.
But he won't log that kind of playing time on a regular basis. The Grizzlies also added ex-Spur Ray McCallum, who debuted in their loss to the Hawks on Saturday. Figure he and Weber will split time as the official point guards for the rest of this season, as Conley's expected 3-4 week rehab puts his return perilously close to the start of the playoffs.
That said, the Memphis player you most want to own at this point is none other than the much-maligned Lance
The Memphis Grizzlies' already-disappointing season took a turn for the dismal this week with the news that point guard Mario Chalmers – who had been playing very well – has a ruptured Achilles' tendon. Chalmers is (obviously) done for the year. So is Marc Gasol (broken foot). Mike Conley is battling a less-serious Achilles' injury of his own. Brandan Wright is out. And just about every other player on the roster has a "Game Time Decision" flag next to his name.
(Insert tired joke about the Memphis blues here…)
The Grizzlies' roster is so thin at this point, the team was forced to waive Chalmers to make room for a D-League call-up - and immediately install him as the starter. And that call-up - one Briante Weber - wasn't half bad in his first NBA game, playing 40 minutes and going for 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block in Memphis' overtime win over the Pelicans.
But he won't log that kind of playing time on a regular basis. The Grizzlies also added ex-Spur Ray McCallum, who debuted in their loss to the Hawks on Saturday. Figure he and Weber will split time as the official point guards for the rest of this season, as Conley's expected 3-4 week rehab puts his return perilously close to the start of the playoffs.
That said, the Memphis player you most want to own at this point is none other than the much-maligned Lance Stephenson, who should thrive as a playmaking wing in much the same way Giannis Antetokounmpo has since taking over ball-handling responsibilities for the injured Michael Carter-Williams.
Season-ending is Relative
It's not uncommon to hear an injury described as season-ending, but that descriptor means different things at different points on the calendar. We obviously won't see Chalmers in uniform until some time next season. But at this stage of the season, just about any injury that isn't a minor day-to-day kind of thing has the potential to end a player's year. Jahlil Okafor is the latest example - he'll only be sidelined for six weeks or so after a minor surgery to repair a small meniscus tear in his right knee - but given the timing, that effectively ends his rookie campaign.
As such, it makes exactly zero sense to hang on to a guy like Okafor in a single-season league. Same goes for Joakim Noah and OJ Mayo and Carter-Williams and Eric Gordon and Marc Gasol. A tougher decision looms with players like Conley, who may have an outside shot at returning for the very end of the season. Or Blake Griffin, who is expected back, but nobody knows when. Or Jimmy Butler.
And then there's Chris Bosh, who has said he intends to return this season, but who may have a very difficult time getting clearance to do so.
The "drop or don't drop" decision ultimately comes down to your league, your place in the standings and who might be available on the waiver wire.
Pay particular attention to your counting stats when making the decision… it's tougher to pick up (or lose) ground in a percentage category at this stage in the game.
Picks for the Week:
Joe Johnson (72 percent) - Iso-Joe is averaging 15.5 points, 3.1 boards, 2.9 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals in eight games as a Heat. (As a Heat? As a member of the Heat? As a Heatle? Man, I hate singluar-form team names.) Dwyane Wade is fighting a thigh injury, so Johnson should continue to pick up the slack this week.
Taj Gibson (40 percent) and Bobby Portis (10 percent) - Pau Gasol is not travelling with the Bulls this weekend due to swelling in his knee. That leaves Chicago - already without the services of Joakim Noah - short-handed in the frontcourt. Both Gibson and Portis could be significant upgrades for the remainder of the season if Gasol's injury is at all serious.
Marcus Thornton (5 percent) - Called up to take the roster spot of Gary Neal, Thornton will get some run whenever Bradley Beal isn't able to go. Based on Beal's history, that could be a regular occurrence.
Shaun Livingston (3 percent) - With Andre Iguodala expected to miss about two weeks, Livingston is primed to move up a bit in the Warriors' rotation.
Rodney Stuckey (3 percent) - George Hill is battling a toe injury and Ty Lawson has a sprained ankle, so Stuckey may be Indiana's short-term point guard by default.
Sasha Vujacic (1 percent) - I sincerely hope you're not this desperate… but with Arron Afflalo (abdominal) and Lance Thomas (knee) out, the veteran guard has been getting significant playing time. He did score a season-high 23 earlier this week, but that was against the dismal Phoenix Suns.
