Memphis Grizzlies big man Brandan Wright had surgery on his injured left ankle on Tuesday, the team announced. According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Wright will be sidelined for two months. He has yet to make his regular-season debut, having last suited up for the Grizzlies on Oct. 6 in a preseason game.
Wright underwent a successful arthroscopic debridement of his left ankle Tuesday afternoon after non-surgical interventions failed to eliminate his posterior tibialis tendinopathy.
The procedure was performed at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis and Wright will begin rehabilitation in Memphis immediately. There is currently no timetable for his return to the court and further updates will be provided when appropriate.
Wright can't catch a break. After signing a three-year deal with Memphis in the summer of 2015, he played in only 12 games last season, having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in December and then spraining his MCL in his right knee in late February.
The Grizzlies hoped that Wright would be their primary backup center, and he is the kind of player who could help them offensively. If he can get healthy, he figures to be an effective pick-and-roll partner for Mike Conley or rookie guard Wade Baldwin in David Fizdale's new system.
This season, veteran Zach Randolph has essentially been Marc Gasol's backup at center. Wright's extended absence, though, could mean that long and athletic rookie Deyonta Davis will get more of a chance. Davis scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots in garbage time of a blowout loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 1, and on Monday against the Utah Jazz, Fizdale gave him 13 minutes of playing time and Conley said he "changed the game," via the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery.
