Just when the Memphis Grizzlies thought Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were ready to wrap up the Western Conference standings, Tuomas Iisalo's squad found a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking. A season marked by constant reintegration and recalibration has hit another obstacle. Unfortunately, after less than a month in the rotations, Zach Edey (left ankle stress reaction) is in line to miss at least four weeks.
This soreness is in the same surgically repaired ankle that had Edey out of the lineups from June until November 15. Morant has missed significant time, playing in 12 of 24 games so far. Jaren Jackson Jr. missed the first two games due to a prolonged turf toe rehab. The 11-13 Grizzlies were surging up the standings, going 7-2 over the past three weeks, but now they find themselves in ninth and without much wiggle room.
Edey, an All-Rookie first team selection, has been a revelation in his second season, averaging 13.6 points and a team-high 11.1 rebounds per game. Trying to survive the NBA Play-In Tournament's twists and turns without Edey will be Iisalo's most important puzzle.
Grizzlies sticking with plan
The plan was for the returning Ja Morant, the team's engine, to synergize with this new foundation over a relatively easy schedule to close out 2025. Instead, the Grizzlies now face the difficult task of sustaining their momentum without arguably their most important player during a promising hot streak. The long-awaited partnership between their stars is put on hold once again. Still, Iisalo, known for his egalitarian approach to minutes distribution, isn't one to panic.
All signs point to Jock Landale as the team's opening tip enforcer, though his ability to run with the starters for 25-30 minutes remains in doubt. A strong performance over the next month could position the Australian big man for a significant raise in free agency, as he steps into Edey's shoes with his shooting range and mobility. However, everyone in the FedEx Forum's stands will be looking for Jaren Jackson Jr. to step up. The two-time NBA All-Star's stats have been down all season, and the former Defensive Player of the Year wants more than 29 minutes a night.
Here is the chance to really double down on an All-Star campaign with nightly double-doubles in 32-35 minutes. However, Iisalo's penchant for spreading playing time and adhering to rotational principles even when stars might prefer otherwise, faces pressure to solve a more complex puzzle. Jackson Jr. will not be logging 40 minutes a night and while Santi Aldama has earned praise for his versatility, his reputation as an enforcer is limited. That means Iisalo's small-ball lineups with the Spanish forward as an anchor will be restricted to brief spurts of two to four minutes.
It would be downright risky for the Grizzlies to break up the bench unit of Vince Williams, Cam Spencer, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Santi Aldama. They have been spectacular over the past 1o games. Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward can handle the extra defensive responsibilities. Both have NBA All-Defense potential and young legs. That leaves the bulk of Edey's roughly 18 vacated minutes to be divvied between Oliver Maxence Prosper and GG Jackson. For a Grizzlies team eyeing the Feb. 6 trade deadline, this stretch is a golden audition window.
Give GG Jackson a shot
The spotlight shines brightest on GG Jackson. After earning 21 starts as a rookie and performing well, the 20-year-old saw his role shrink dramatically: just three starts last season and appearances in only eight games this year, none as a starter. Still on a rookie-level deal, Jackson has sat on the bench for 161 of the team's 246 regular-season games to date.
It is time to decide whether Jackson should be integrated into the core or leveraged as salary ballast in a future deal. Small sample sizes of film suggest he has the talent to force the team’s hand; now Jackson finally has a shot at some minutes.
For Prosper, this stretch is an evaluation period with direct implications for the trade deadline. His defensive activity and length are intriguing, but the Grizzlies need clarity on whether his offensive development can keep pace. Front offices around the league will be watching as well.
Survival without Zach Edey is not about reinventing an identity, again. It is about protecting pace, maintaining defensive principles, and resisting the temptation to overload the pillars of the roster. If the medical outlook holds, the Grizzlies expect to regain an All-World center fully healthy and rested for the stretch run.
A month without the 7-foot-4 phenom will not define the season. How Iisalo manages the absence will determine what the roster looks like when he returns and how far this team can ultimately go.
