The Spurs and Grizzlies will both face off in a battle to see whose team can survive the calf strain monster. Several players on each side will miss the matchup, and at least two on either squad are dealing with the one ailment that seems to be running amok through the NBA. A 'flavor of the month,' if you will.
Spurs injury report
Stephon Castle - Out (Hip)
Dylan Harper - Out (Calf strain)
Victor Wembanyama - Out (Calf strain)
Jordan McLaughlin - Out (Hamstring)
Grizzlies injury report
Ja Morant - Out (Calf strain)
Ty Jerome - Out (Calf strain)
Brandon Clarke - Out (Knee)
Scotty Pippen Jr. - Out (Toe)
Javon Small - Out (Toe)
Spurs must come away with a win against such a bad team
You can explain away a loss as much as you want to, blaming the injuries, but that's not good enough anymore. This team has expectations, and in a long season, guys are going to miss games, so the others have to step up. But the team they're facing also has a lot to do with this. If they were set to face OKC without three of their five best players, I would feel differently, but Memphis is a far cry from the defending champs.
The Grizzlies are 4-10 and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The Spurs would be remiss not to add to it. The reason why Brian Wright constructed the roster with this level of depth was to ensure they had enough firepower to push through adversity.
They were forced to deal with crushing circumstances last season. Former Head Coach Gregg Popovich was expected on the sideline for a few more seasons, but that wasn't in the cards for the greatest coach in NBA history. Wemby was poised to lead this team to a play-in tournament spot, but the blood clot derailed that. They can deal with a few minor injuries. This is nothing compared to what they've been through.
With that being said, this is the perfect opportunity for some of the other players to gain more rhythm. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell have cooled off from three after starting the season on fire like a Ghost Rider comic. De'Aaron Fox is back and looks like himself. He'll lead the way, and his performance against Sacramento was a perfect example of what he's capable of.
On the other side of things, the Grizzlies have been awful this season in almost every category. They don't shoot the three well, they don't rebound or block shots, and they're at the bottom of the league in field goal efficiency; it's been a dumpster fire start to the year for them. San Antonio, without Wemby and the others, should still be able to stoke those flames.