Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. out at least three months after surgery on left big toe

It’s the start of the season, but injuries are hitting the Grizzlies hard. Ja Morant is in question for the opening goal, recovering from a sprained ankle, while centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are also both out with injuries.

Now add Scotty Pippen Jr. to the mix, with the team announcing he will miss at least three months after surgery on his left big toe.

A sesamoidectomy is the removal of a small, round bone, perhaps the size of a pea or smaller, embedded in the tendons around the big toe. These bones help absorb pressure and facilitate movement, but can cause pain if chronically stressed.

Ty Jerome will likely see an increase in minutes with Pippen out (as long as Jerome is healthy, he left the Grizzlies’ final preseason game with a calf issue). With Desmond Bane now in Orlando, something more would have fallen to Pippen’s plate and now someone else has to step up in those minutes.

Memphis has been hit hard by injuries in recent seasons, a problem that started with Morant, who played just 59 games in those two seasons. The Grizzlies need a mostly healthy season to get a sense of how good this team is and what needs to come next.