Why is Ja Morant not playing tonight against Detroit Pistons? Exploring reason behind Memphis guard's absence (Nov. 27)

The Memphis Grizzlies will face off against the Detroit Pistons without their best player. Ja Morant was ruled out of the matchup with a knee contusion.

After missing eight games due to a hip injury, Morant returned to the court on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, the All-Star guard banged knees with a Blazers defender while going for a loose ball and missed the final eight minutes of that game.

He's now back on the injury report, while no return timetable has been shared with fans. Morant scored 22 points and dished 11 assists in 23 minutes of action against Portland. Ja Morant shared more details about the unfortunate play.

“A little knee to knee,” Morant said, per the Commercial Appeal. “Everybody know I get back up every time. … Quick little stinger, get out the way and just take care of it now.”

The Grizzlies did just fine without their best player on the court, securing wins against the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls. They have won four of their last five games, including the last three.

They face a competitive Pistons team Wednesday night, but the 11-7 Grizzlies enter the game as a -7.5-point favorite.

The Grizzlies rank fourth in the Western Conference, training the OKC Thunder (13-4), Golden State Warriors (12-5) and the Houston Rockets (13-6), all of this while Ja Morant was out. When he returns to the lineup, the Grizzlies should be more dangerous than they already are.

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Ja Morant hypes up Scotty Pippen Jr. after career night with Grizzlies

While he was inactive, Ja Morant paid close attention to the Grizzlies' performances and didn't hesitate to pump up his teammates whenever somebody put on a show. After Scotty Pippen Jr. scored a career-high 30 points against one of his father's former teams, the Chicago Bulls, Pippen took to social media to celebrate himself.

The guard shared a post on Instagram with a meaningful caption.

"Work in silence, and let your success be the noise," Pippen Jr. wrote.

Many reacted to the post, including Morant, who reacted with two emojis to Pippen's post.

"🤞🏾1️⃣," Morant commented underneath the post.

While it must be annoying to keep dealing with health issues, Ja Morant has seemingly found ways to remain in good spirits amid the tough times.