Grizzlies

urday night, causing a grade II MCL sprain. The injury finally pushed the Grizzlies' depth to the brink of exhaustion 12 games into the season. Memphis used only eight players for the first time this season as head coach J.B. Bickerstaff mixed and matched the limited options at his disposal in the loss to Utah.

"There’s a chemistry that had been forming through that group," Bickerstaff said. "When you start to peel pieces away from it, you’re searching for that chemistry with a different group of guys."

Reserve wing MarShon Brooks played a season-high 22 and a half minutes as the Grizzlies dropped to 7-5, despite holding the Jazz to 100 points or less for the third time in the young season.

What now?

Marc Gasol said, "injuries are part of game."

Conley added that, "we have a deep team."

Kyle Anderson noted, "We don't expect a drop-off, obviously."

But Dillon Brooks was emerging as a key cog in the rotation. He frequently offered 20-plus minutes per night of the gritty defensive mentality the Grizzlies have established. He also provided an occasional scoring punch.

"My heart goes out to Dillon," shooting guard Garrett Temple said. "MarShon (Brooks) is going to have to step up and obviously play more minutes for us. We have the talent to be able to win."

Temple said the Grizzlies could not blame Monday's loss on their rotation.

But his absence will require an adjustment.

For one, MarShon Brooks is scorer first, second only to Conley on the team in points per 36 minutes.

"It's different when it's a different guy coming up, the next man up," Anderson said. "And it's going to take some time to get used to it. We're going to have to adjust quickly and go with what we've got."

The Grizzlies play at Milwaukee (10-3) on Wednesday night, host Sacramento (8-6) on Friday and play at Minnesota (5-9) on Sunday.

The Grizzlies might be stuck with an eight-man rotation until Casspi returns, although reserve forward Ivan Rabb is another healthy option who did not play against Utah.

A Monday medical update from the Grizzlies said Casspi is "nearing a full recovery from right knee soreness that has sidelined him for the last three games and is expected to return within the next week."

Casspi's return should lighten the burden on Anderson, who played a team-high 37 and a half minutes against Utah and pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds for the second straight game while logging time at power forward.

Green is expected to return within the next two weeks, and a further update on Parsons is expected in two weeks.

Bickerstaff: "it's difficult"

Bickerstaff said "it's difficult" to mix up rotations once players become acthe customed to certain rotations.

But, he noted, injuries are something every team in the NBA deals with.

"We’ve just got to figure out a way to battle through it," he said.

Until Monday night, the Grizzlies were battling through their injury woes just fine.

"Everyone who has been called upon to play has been ready to go," Conley said. "I think that we're so deep, that even with the injuries we've had, we've handled it well."

Now, with Dillon Brooks out the next test of that depth beckons.

"I think with the new faces in the lineups and guys in and out, you kind of have to tinker the lineups, tinker with what you think might work at the right time," Conley said.

"Sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it does, and I think we're just trying to find that middle ground to where we can still attack offensively and still be able to lock down and get stops."

Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @DavidWCobb.