Recently, Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart raised eyebrows when he claimed that he was pressured to return to the lineup prematurely while he was still injured during his stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. Smart was a member of the Grizzlies for two seasons, prior to joining the Washington Wizards and then the Lakers.
“I wanted to be 100%, to give everything I got,” Smart said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “As I'm still working out and getting ready, they're just like, ‘No, your doctor said you're ready now.' And I'm like, ‘I hear what my doctor said, but … it's how I feel. Yes, surgically the finger is fine. But physically, no.”
Now, McMenamin has reported that “When reached by ESPN about Smart's claims, the Grizzlies had no comment.”
If those claims turned out to be true, it certainly wouldn't be a good look for the Grizzlies and their medical staff, although Smart did acknowledge that the finger was fine from a surgical perspective.
The Grizzlies are in full-on tank mode at the current juncture, recently pulling their starters from a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter to ensure a loss, and many believe that the team will once again explore trade scenarios for point guard Ja Morant this summer, after they sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, Smart has fit in nicely with the Lakers, who are currently on a six-game winning streak, having defeated the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
It remains to be seen if the Grizzlies will ever break their silence on Smart's claims, but for now, it's not a great look for the franchise.
