UPDATE: Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart has been given the greenlight to play against the New Orleans Pelicans

The Memphis Grizzlies have gotten a massive boost as of late thanks to the return of Ja Morant, who has guided Memphis to three straight wins in his first three games of the season. While Morant's return has obviously been huge for the Grizzlies, they could also be set to get another boost to their backcourt with Marcus Smart being close to finishing his rehab from an ankle injury.

Smart picked up a sprained ankle back in November when the Grizzlies were taking on the Los Angeles Lakers, and has missed the ensuing 17 games as he works his way back from the injury. The good news is that it looks like Smart is nearly healthy enough to retake the court, as his status for Memphis' upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night has been upgraded to questionable.

“The Memphis Grizzlies have upgraded Marcus Smart to questionable for Tuesday's game at the New Orleans Pelicans. Smart has been closing in on a return and appears poised to make it back this week, if not as soon as Tuesday,” RealGM reported.

The Grizzlies could get a massive boost with Marcus Smart's return

Marcus Smart with eyeball emojis around him.

Smart was picked up by the Grizzlies over the offseason in an effort to help shore up their defense, but he wasn't making a massive impact prior to his injury (12.5 PPG, 5 APG, 2.5 RPG, 42.9 FG%). The plan, though, was to pair up Smart with Morant and Desmond Bane, and now they will finally get to see what this sort of backcourt looks like.

The Grizzlies may opt to play it safe and hold Smart out against the Pelicans on Tuesday night, but it looks like his return is just around the corner, which is fantastic news. Memphis appears to be figuring things out with the return of Morant, and getting Smart back may help the Grizzlies continue their recent hot streak.