Former Oklahoma State Basketball Star Faces Injury Setback
A former Oklahoma State star is struggling to stay on the floor this season.
Former OSU guard Marcus Smart suffered a rupture of the proximal interphalangeal joint central slip in the Memphis Grizzlies’ win against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Smart is set to be re-evaluated in six weeks.
The injury came at an awful time for both Smart and the Grizzlies. Tuesday was Smart’s third straight game with at least 20 points. With the recent news that Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant would be out for the season, Smart was to be relied on as a veteran point guard.
While that contest was a victory for Memphis, it has been a nightmare season. At 14-23, Memphis sits 13th in the Western Conference standings.
Following back-to-back seasons as the No. 2 seed, the Grizzlies changed their roster over the offseason, including acquiring Smart. This season has not gone as planned for the former Cowboy, as this is not his first injury that will keep him from playing.
Smart missed 17 games earlier this season with a left ankle injury. Memphis went 7-10 in his absence, with three wins after Morant returned from his 25-game suspension.
Still, the guard has played some of his best basketball this season, averaging a career-high 14.5 points and 2.1 steals. Before Memphis traded for him in the offseason, Smart had spent his entire NBA career with the Boston Celtics.
As a Celtic, Smart was a fan favorite and established himself as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. In 2022, he won Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Celtics make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010.
While he will not get an opportunity to help Memphis in the postseason in 2024, the Grizzlies still have high hopes that he can be a significant key to having a bounce-back season in 2025.
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