Grizzlies’ Center Plans After Steven Adams Injury, Revealed

The Memphis Grizzlies were delivered a massive blow ahead of the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Starting center Steven Adams has to undergo surgery on the PCL in his right knee and he will be sidelined for the entire season.

We haven’t seen Adams in a regular season game since January when he suffered the injury originally. He did play in two preseason games, as he was on the court for 27 minutes, scoring nine points with 10 rebounds.

Alas, the knee didn’t respond as well as the team had hoped. “Non-operative rehabilitation did not resolve ongoing knee instability,” Memphis revealed over the weekend as the reason Adams is undergoing surgery.

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Steven Adams, Xavier Tillman Sr., Memphis Grizzlies Updates

3-to-5 weeks was the original timetable for Adams to be sidelined when the injury happened. Instead, he will go about 22 months without appearing in a regular season game.

With Brandon Clarke also sidelined, the Grizzlies are going to need other players to step up in the frontcourt. Right now, “probably a leader in the clubhouse” to start in Adams’ place is fourth-year big man, Xavier Tillman Sr.

“All these guys know things are going to change game to game, depending on what we need to go out and win,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said.

Stepping into the starting lineup isn’t anything new for Tillman. He did it for 29 games last season and has 43 total starts under his belt as a professional in the regular season and 12 in the postseason.

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Steven Adams, Xavier Tillman Sr., Memphis Grizzlies Updates

The team is going to need him to bring physicality to the court, as that was something you could count on from Adams. Physically imposing, Adams controlled the paint with his rebounding and rim protection. 

Replacing that certainly won’t be easy, but it is the thing the Grizzlies will miss the most. A stout defender, Memphis shouldn’t fall off much on the defensive end with Tillman in the lineup. But it will take a collective team effort to pick up the slack on the glass.