Ja Morant Injury Update: Grizzlies HC Taylor Jenkins gives concerning news as star guard suffers another shoulder ailment 

Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant has been ruled out of Thursday's home matchup against the Houston Rockets. According to Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, the two-time All-Star sustained another right shoulder injury in practice, leaving him day-to-day.

Morant has been in and out of Memphis' lineup all season due to various injuries, including a right shoulder sprain he sustained on Dec. 27. Despite being considered week-to-week, the injury only cost him five games, with him returning on Jan. 9.

The 2019 No. 2 draft pick has since missed two more outings due to right foot soreness and an illness on Jan. 17 and Jan. 24.

Morant popped up on the Grizzlies' injury report again entering Thursday, initially being listed as questionable due to right shoulder soreness. However, he was downgraded to doubtful before being ruled out of his 20th contest of the season.

"Ja Morant is day-to-day with the shoulder injury. He took a bump in practice yesterday and flagged the soreness this morning, per Jenkins," The Daily Memphian's Drew Hill tweeted Thursday.

In Morant's absence, backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. will likely take on a starting role, with reserve sharpshooter Luke Kennard getting extra run. Pippen has proven to be a reliable two-way fill-in for Morant all season, providing playmaking and perimeter defense.

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How has Memphis fared without Ja Morant this season?

Over their first 19 games without Ja Morant, the Grizzlies (31-16) have held down the fort, going 12-7. That isn't far off their pace of 19-9 with the star point guard available, winning percentage-wise (63.2% vs 67.9%).

However, Memphis will likely face difficulty dispatching a surging Houston squad without Morant. The Rockets (32-14) have won four straight games, sitting second in the Western Conference standings, one and a half games ahead of the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, they boast the NBA's fourth-best defensive rating (108.3).

Memphis is 0-3 against Houston this season. So, it will look to avoid getting swept by its conference foe without its second-leading scorer (20.3 points per game).

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