VIDEO: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant exits game vs. Heat in troubling scene

The NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, exited his team’s game on Tuesday against the Miami Heat with an apparent hip injury. Morant was clearly in pain and discomfort as he walked gingerly to the locker room with help from the team’s athletic trainer:

Ja Morant played 29 minutes in the victory over the Heat, but he wasn’t his normally productive self. He finished with only 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists to go with a whopping 7 turnovers, which matched his career-high.

Though Morant’s efficiency is down somewhat, his overall production is up with improvements in points per game (17.8 to 19.0) and assists per game (7.3 to 7.5). His play is helping his team stay in the thick of the playoff hunt in the Western Conference, which remains exceedingly tight, especially thanks to the inclusion of a play-in game this year.

Ja Morant’s astonishing athleticism and bendy, spindly limbs make all of his high-flying escapades all the more thrilling – as it seems he walks a razor’s edge whenever he comes down from a staggering feat of layup dexterity.

As such, Morant has been bitten a tad by the injury bug this season after a fairly uneventful rookie year on that front – at least compared to his rookie counterpart Zion Williamson.

Earlier this season, Ja Morant suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain, which kept him out of a few games, though he came back sooner than expected. Perhaps he should’ve stayed away longer, but he clearly wanted to get back out there and help his team – so you can’t really fault an eager 21-year-old on that front.