Ja Morant has been by far the best rookie of the young NBA season, but now, his debut campaign will be put on hold. The Memphis Grizzlies star is dealing with aggravated back spasms and will be considered week-to-week, the team announced Saturday. The Grizzlies also revealed that Morant will need a "period of short-term off-loading" as part of his recovery, indicating that rest will be key in getting him back onto the court as quickly as possible. 

Morant, averaging 18.6 points and 6.4 assists per game in his first two months in the NBA, has more than lived up to the hype as the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft. The 5-13 Grizzlies are out of the playoff hunt, but have played much more competitive basketball than anyone has expected, and with Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke in tow, seem to have one of the brightest futures of any team in the NBA. 

The Grizzlies will likely be as cautious as possible in managing Morant's rehab, but if he is forced to miss extended time, it could impact his Rookie of the Year candidacy. Morant has established himself as the clear frontrunner early in the season, but enough time off could derail his chance at the award. He knows that well, as his ascendancy coincided with the injury to Zion Williamson, previously considered the heavy favorite. 

Players like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and R.J. Barrett will now have a chance to assert themselves as the new favorite for Rookie of the Year, but the Grizzlies won't be overly concerned with that. They need to keep their franchise player healthy and ready to lead them deep into the playoffs in the years to come, and if doing so costs him some hardware, then so be it.