Overview
- Morant grabbed his left hamstring and was ruled out for the remainder of Portland’s 124-103 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies after leaving with 7:46 left in the fourth quarter on Oct. 29.
- Blazers coach Micah Nori said Morant told him he felt a “twinge” and that the team would evaluate him further after the game.
- ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that imaging showed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and that Morant is expected to miss at least four weeks, a timeline the team has not formally confirmed.
- Portland must reshuffle its backcourt, with more ball-handling and playmaking likely to fall to Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday and added minutes for younger guards such as Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija.
- A Grade 2 hamstring strain usually means a moderate partial tear and several weeks of rehab, so rushing a return risks recurrence and makes careful medical progress the key near-term factor for the Blazers and Morant.