The Memphis Grizzlies will have to fill a hole in their frontcourt. JaMychal Green, who started both of the Grizzlies’ games to kick off the 2018-19 season, underwent surgery on Saturday afternoon. Green suffered a broken jaw on Friday night during Memphis’ game against the Atlanta Hawks, and according to a tweet sent by the team, he’s expected to make a full recovering following the procedure.
UPDATE: JaMychal Green suffered a broken jaw after receiving an elbow to the face from an opposing player during the third quarter of yesterday’s game against the Hawks. Green underwent a surgical stabilization procedure this morning and is expected to make a full recovery.
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) October 20, 2018
Green isn’t the flashiest player in the league, but he was a steady hand for the Grizzlies during the team’s lost season last year. Green started 54 games and averaged 10.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in 28 minutes a night, all three of which were career-highs.
Memphis will have to find a way to replace Green for the next month, and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Grizzlies will use this as a chance to get 2018 first-round draft pick Jaren Jackson Jr. into the starting lineup.
The loss of Green clears the way for Memphis to move rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. into the starting lineup. The No. 4 overall pick already has shown star potential. Jackson, a 6-foot-11 power forward, had 24 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the Grizzlies’ victory over Atlanta on Friday night.
Jackson has off-the-charts potential, and while it’s safe to assume Memphis didn’t want to get him into the starting lineup three games into his NBA career, the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this could be a good thing in the long-term.
