Memphis Grizzlies news: Justise Winslow’s season-ending injury another in a long line of injuries

Long ago we realized Justise Winslow just can’t buy a break with injuries. In a new twist, he’s been ruled out for the rest of the Memphis Grizzlies’ season.

It’s been a fact for what seems like forever. Justise Winslow simply can’t buy a break, and his injury luck has been dreadful since his second season. He played 78 of a possible 82 games for the Miami Heat in his rookie year, but in year two he only appeared in 18 games, then years three and four he managed a respectable 134 games combined. He dropped off to just 11 games with the Heat this season and none yet with the Memphis Grizzlies who acquired him at the trade deadline.

That number will stay at 11 for the year with the news on Tuesday that Winslow suffered a hip injury in practice which will cause him to miss the Grizzlies’ restarted season. Considering the  Grizzlies have eight seeding games to play and then a high likelihood of a playoff series as the eighth seed, we get the idea that his timeline will be well over a month, but he’s expected to make a full recovery ahead of next season.

This season in particular has been an awful one for Winslow. After showing chops as the starting point guard for the Heat last season, there was plenty of optimism that he could take the next step as a lead ball-handler, but he barely got started before his season was sidelined.

In December he was diagnosed with a back strain, holding him out of the lineup for weeks. Late in the month, his injury was re-classified as a bone bruise in his back, a completely different injury with a different timetable for recovery. While the Miami Heat training staff is highly regarded, it was a bizarre moment to say the least.

In retrospect, it almost seems par for the course in regards to Justise Winslow’s health.

The Memphis Grizzlies traded Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder in order to get Winslow, and while it’s disappointing that they won’t get to see him in action this season, next year is a new beginning. It’s a delay, but hopefully he’ll have his full health for the 2020-21 campaign.