Watch: Ja Morant lobs it up to Zach Edey as rookie gets his first NBA bucket for Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant made his highly anticipated return from a right shoulder injury during Monday's preseason opener against the Dallas Mavericks. Upon doing so, the two-time All-Star didn't take long to set up his 7-foot-4 rookie teammate Zach Edey for a highlight-worthy first basket.
Morant last played in early January, suffering a labral tear in his right shoulder that required surgery. The injury cost him the second half of last season, limiting him to only nine outings.
However, after an extensive rehab process, Morant was fully cleared for basketball activities in early July, setting the stage for his preseason return. While he showed signs of offensive rust early on against Dallas, the one-time All-NBA second team selectee made Edey's first preseason basket memorable.
Early in the second quarter, Morant drove along the baseline and found Edey cutting to the basket. He lobbed the ball up to the big man, who converted a strong two-handed alley-oop finish.
Edey, the No. 9 pick in this year's draft, should receive plenty of easy scoring opportunities playing alongside Morant this season. He started on Monday against the Mavericks, suggesting he will play a key role for Memphis.
The Grizzlies will attempt to bounce back from last season's injury-plagued 13th-place Western Conference finish (27-55). In the previous two years, they secured No. 2 seeds. However, they will likely face a tough road back to the top of the West. Numerous powerhouse squads stand in their way, including Dallas, the OKC Thunder and the Denver Nuggets.
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Ja Morant rolls ankle shortly after finding Zach Edey for alley-oop
Minutes after orchestrating Zach Edey's first preseason basket, Ja Morant rolled his right ankle in transition, heading to the locker room.
Morant's apparent injury had Grizzlies supporters holding their breath, with many assuming his night was over. However, the star point guard returned to the bench and re-entered the game shortly after.
Typically, players play it safe in preseason and try not to overexert themselves, especially those coming off major injuries. So, Morant checking back into a relatively meaningless exhibition contest was unexpected. However, he ultimately headed back to the locker room early in the third quarter, with Memphis securing a 121-116 road victory in his absence.
Over 18 minutes, Morant tallied 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, shooting 44.4%. Thus, he appears on track to return to his All-Star form once he ramps up his workload.
Across nine appearances last season, Morant averaged 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.6 3-pointers per game, shooting 47.1%.
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