Grizzlies Zach Edey has been out for at least a month with a stress reaction in his left ankle

When Zach Edey took the court this season, the Memphis Grizzlies outscored their opponents by 17.7 points per 100 possessions. When Edey is off the court, the Grizzlies are outscored by 8.2 points per 100: that’s a swing of 25.9 points per 100 with him on the court.

Here’s why this is bad news in Memphis: Edey will be out at least a month with a stress reaction in his left ankle, the team announced Thursday. This is the same ankle that Edey had offseason surgery on, causing him to miss the first 13 games of the season.

Announcement

Edey’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, he told ESPN’s Shams Charania, “This is a management plan to optimize Zach’s long-term health in consultation with the Grizzlies and medical experts. After this step, the short- and long-term prognosis for Zach is excellent.”

This is a tough blow to a Memphis team that had gone 7-2 in its last nine games and started to string together some wins, and is expected to soon recover Ja Morant from the calf strain that sidelined him.

With Edey out, expect Jock Landale to be the starting five for a while, with Jaren Jackson Jr. spending more time at center as well.

In the same announcement, the Grizzlies said forward John Konchar will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his left thumb. The team did not provide a timeline for his return, but this injury usually keeps players out at least a month.