Isaiah Stewart's Knee Injury Leaves Grizzlies Frontcourt Scrambling

Isaiah Stewart is officially doubtful to return to Wednesday's game with a knee injury, which means the Memphis Grizzlies frontcourt is once again operating on thoughts and prayers.

Underdog NBA broke the news that Stewart's knee will likely keep him in the locker room for the rest of the night. Losing your backup big man mid-game is the kind of rotational nightmare that forces a coach to look down his bench and realize his best remaining rim protector is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who played center in high school.

Stewart had been putting up a highly efficient 12.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in just under 20 minutes a night for Memphis this season. He was finally finding a rhythm after being traded from the Detroit Pistons over the summer, giving the Grizzlies a physical presence in the paint who can actually finish around the rim.

For anyone holding live tickets on Grizzlies second-half unders or Stewart player props, this is the exact moment you close the sportsbook app and stare at the ceiling. When a rotation player vanishes mid-game, the live lines scramble, and the remaining bigs are suddenly asked to play heavy minutes they did not stretch for.

This is just brutal timing for a guy who cannot seem to catch a break. Stewart already dealt with a string of ankle issues this past October, missing time right as the season was getting off the ground. Now he adds a knee problem to a medical chart that is starting to look like a CVS receipt.

Memphis will have to patch together their rotation for the rest of Wednesday night and hold their breath for the postgame MRI update. If Stewart misses extended time, the Grizzlies will be forced to scour the waiver wire or play small-ball lineups that are going to get absolutely bullied on the glass.