Grizzlies' Gasol out indefinitely with broken foot
Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol will be out indefinitely after he was diagnosed with a broken right foot, reports Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.
Head coach Dave Joerger confirmed the injury shortly after the news broke.
"It’s certainly not great for Marc and his family. I know he’s disappointed," Joerger said. "It’s bad for our team. This is a tight bunch of dudes. They care about each other. It hurts everybody. Marc is a guy who lays it out there for his teammates and the fans. We’re going to fight, scratch and claw."
Gasol suffered the injury during Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was originally listed as questionable with foot soreness, and had been dealing with injuries to both legs, but he played anyway.
The 31-year-old Spaniard checked out after putting up 11 points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
Historically, foot injuries have proven to be difficult for 7-footers to shake. The extent of Gasol's foot fracture isn't yet known, but there's a chance he could miss the remainder of the season.
Making matters worse, backup center Brandan Wright isn't expected to return from a knee injury until at least March.
If Gasol is out for the year, it'll be a blow for the Grizzlies' playoff aspirations. It's a veteran roster purposed to contend, but they'll be hard-pressed to make headway without their best player in Gasol, who the team re-signed to a five-year, $110-million maximum contract last summer.
The Grizzlies may already have been looking to rebuild, though. Rotation pieces Jeff Green and Courtney Lee are already on the market, and the Gasol injury will either encourage those efforts or put a halt on trade talks, depending on the team's aspirations.
There's also a decision to be made regarding soon-to-be free agent Mike Conley, who said last Friday that "everything will be on the table" with respect to free agency.
Now playing in his eighth year with the Grizzlies, Gasol's averaging 16.6 points, seven rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while serving as the team's focal point on both sides of the ball.