Portland Trail Blazers point guard Ja Morant is on the road to recovery after suffering a hamstring strain in the team's matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was his first game against his former team. Morant was acquired in a trade by the Blazers during the offseason, and the hope was that the deal would give him a fresh start in a new organization.

Unfortunately, Morant's injury history traveled with him from Memphis to Portland, and he is expected to miss several weeks due to his injury. In Street Clothes analyst Jeff Stotts analyzes injuries. According to his research, the average time a player misses due to a grade 2 hamstring strain is nearly five weeks.

Ja Morant Injury Update: The Blazers say Ja has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. A G2 strain is also known as a partial or incomplete tear. Since 2005-06, the average time lost for an in-season G2 hamstring strain in the NBA is 34.7 days (~14 games).

— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) October 30, 2026

A Look at the Blazers Schedule

Week 1 (Nov 2 – Nov 8)

• Monday, Nov 2 at Denver Nuggets — 6:00 PM PST (Ball Arena)
• Wednesday, Nov 4 at Phoenix Suns — 6:00 PM PST (Footprint Center)
• Friday, Nov 6 at Los Angeles Lakers (NBA Cup) — 7:00 PM PST (Crypto.com Arena)
• Saturday, Nov 7 vs. San Antonio Spurs — 7:00 PM PST (Moda Center)

Week 2 (Nov 9 – Nov 15)

• Tuesday, Nov 10 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 8:00 PM PST (Moda Center)
• Wednesday, Nov 11 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 7:00 PM PST (Moda Center)
• Friday, Nov 13 at Sacramento Kings (NBA Cup) — 7:00 PM PST (Golden 1 Center)

Week 3 (Nov 16 – Nov 22)

• Monday, Nov 16 at Minnesota Timberwolves — 5:00 PM PST (Target Center)
• Tuesday, Nov 17 at Minnesota Timberwolves — 5:00 PM PST (Target Center)
• Thursday, Nov 19 at Milwaukee Bucks — 5:00 PM PST (Fiserv Forum)
• Saturday, Nov 21 at New York Knicks — 4:30 PM PST (Madison Square Garden)

Week 4 (Nov 23 – Nov 29)

• Monday, Nov 23 at Philadelphia 76ers — 4:00 PM PST (Xfinity Mobile Arena)
• Wednesday, Nov 25 vs. San Antonio Spurs (NBA Cup) — 7:00 PM PST (Moda Center)
• Friday, Nov 27 vs. Golden State Warriors (NBA Cup) — 6:30 PM PST (Moda Center)
• Sunday, Nov 29 vs. New Orleans Pelicans — 3:00 PM PST (Moda Center)

Week 5 (Nov 30 – Dec 6)

• Tuesday, Dec 1 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves — 7:00 PM PST (Moda Center)
• Thursday, Dec 3 vs. Utah Jazz — 7:00 PM PST (Moda Center)

How Blazers Will Adjust Without Ja Morant?

With the inclusion of the team's most recent win against the Utah Jazz, Morant is expected to miss 17 games if this timeline reflects his rehabilitation and treatment.

The game against the Jazz on Dec. 3 would mark five weeks from the injury, which could be the ideal day for him to come back. Look for Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson to take on a larger role in Morant's absence.

Morant needs to recover from his injury over the next couple of weeks, so it's hard to tell exactly when he will return. If the research matches what Morant is about to embark on, the Blazers will miss him for a while. If he were to miss 17 games, Morant would have to play every single contest for the rest of the year to be eligible for All-NBA consideration. Therefore, a 17-game absence could be the ideal amount of time for him to miss.

If the Blazers can go 10-7 or better in this stretch, they should be able to hold a strong spot in the Western Conference standings. The boost from getting Morant back in early December will push them forward in their season as they roll along with the punches.