The Commercial Appeal

Grizzlies excited for the upcoming season

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second season with the Grizzlies, said he is not yet ready to play fiveon-five as he continues recovering from shoulder surgery.

"I don't think it's there yet," Anderson said. "I just don't feel comfortabl­e yet, honestly."

Anderson is expected to participat­e in training camp, and he said the issue is improving.

But he also declined to put a timetable on his return to full health.

"A lot of the symptoms have went away, which is good," he said. "I feel it headed in the right direction. It's not back to normal, but I can feel it at times getting back to where I want it."

Anderson missed the last 30 games of the 2018-19 season be

cause of the shoulder issue. But it's a problem that had bothered him long before and one that he hopes to finally move on from this season.

"If I can do it again, I probably would have told somebody or made it more important earlier when it was hurting," Anderson said.

Ja Morant will have a lot of freedom

Morant is fully cleared for training camp after undergoing a minor knee surgery this offseason.

It will bring a return to full basketball activities for the No. 2 overall pick. Morant said Monday he has not been playing five-on-five during the team's voluntary workouts.

"I'm really just starting in training

camp and just excited to touch the floor," Morant said.

Once Morant reaches peak condition, expect the Grizzlies to give him a long leash, even if that means living with turnovers or other rookie mistakes.

"I want him to play fast and aggressive," Jenkins said. "I'm not going to pump the brakes a whole lot."

Zach Kleiman cool with roster crunch

Veteran wing Andre Iguodala and the Grizzlies reached an agreement to keep Iguodala away from the team as Memphis seeks trade opportunit­ies for him.

But if Iguodala remains on the roster into the season, he'll take a spot that another player could fill.

As things stand now, the Grizzlies will have to cut three players by Oct. 21. One of those players is likely to be Matt Mooney, a rookie on an exhibit 10 contract who probably is destined for the Memphis Hustle of the G-league.

But that still leaves two more cuts. "As far as the roster heading into training camp, yeah, there's competitio­n as there is in any training camp or preseason," said Zach Kleiman, the executive vice president of basketball operations.

"That certainly applies in this case. There's no decisions that have been made. We're excited to dive in and see how the situation plays itself out."

Jaren Jackson Jr. still growing?

Jackson said he recently measured 6-foot-11 without shoes.

"Still growing," Jackson said. "I grew in like the last three months."

Jackson turned 20 on Sept. 15. He was listed as 6-foot-11 on the team's roster last year.

With shoes, he might enter the league's 7-foot club this season.

Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercial­appeal.com or on Twitter @Davidwcobb.

 ?? JOE RONDONE / THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL ?? Grizzlies guard Ja Morant poses during the team's media day Monday.
JOE RONDONE / THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL Grizzlies guard Ja Morant poses during the team's media day Monday.

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