The Memphis Grizzlies are currently sitting in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference, but injuries could end their quest for the playoffs. The team has gotten hit hard lately, as depth now remains a big concern heading into a weekend stretch of games. The point guard position is a particular concern, as the Grizzlies were down Mike Conley and will now be without Mario Chalmers for the remainder of the season.
The Grizzlies announced Thursday that they were waiving Chalmers following a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered on Wednesday. Chalmers went down in the game against the Boston Celtics and was unable to put any weight on his leg in order to get off the court. The injury was deemed season-ending, and in order to be able to make additions before the playoffs, the Grizzlies were forced to waive the point guard.
"He has been an important part of our success this season, both coming off the bench and when called upon as a starter," general manager Chris Wallace said. "But with Mario's season-ending injury and our already depleted roster, it became necessary to free up a roster spot."
The injury to Chalmers is just another on the lengthy list of issues that Memphis is dealing with. Marc Gasol is also out for the season following surgery on a foot injury. Zach Randolph has been sitting with knee soreness. Chris Andersen has been out with a dislocated left shoulder. Mike Conley has missed two games for soreness in his right foot. That means that the Grizzlies are dealing with some major depth issues with little relief in sight at the moment.
The Grizzlies are currently not clear on the status of Conley. The point guard is trying to be cautious with his foot injury, but he could miss at least one more game with the issue. That could be trouble for the Grizzlies, who play the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The point guard underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage on the foot, but there is still hesitation to put Conley on the court. Right now, Conley is the Grizzlies' lone playmaker, as he is averaging 15.3 points and 6.1 assists per game.
With Chalmers out, the Grizzlies are preparing to sign Ray McCallum on Friday. The point guard was recently waived from the San Antonio Spurs when they acquired Andre Miller. McCallum is not the solution. Ultimately, the Grizzlies need Conley if they are going to remain contenders. Frustration is high, as Tony Allen admits the Grizzlies are struggling at the moment.
"Obviously, to see another fallen soldier go down due to injury, it deflates you, takes a lot out of you," Allen said. "We tried to play together, but obviously you could see his work on the court. We didn't have a poised point guard today."
