After a year sidelined, Memphis Grizzlies' Brandon Clarke return is imminent

Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies' small forward, suffered a left Achilles tear last year during the final stretch of the 2022-23 NBA Regular season. Now, the 27-year is getting closer to make his comeback into Memphis' lineup.

The severe injury happened a just a few minutes into the match between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets. Now, after a full year of working on his rehab, Clarke has entered into the final stage of his recovery and he's expected to play a couple of minutes with his team before the regular season ends.

Last season, Memphis was looking very good before the playoffs and Brandon was one of their key players. Leader of the second unit, Clarke was averaging 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in nearly 20 minutes of play, shooting at 65% of efficiency from the field.

An Achilles tear is one of the most devastating injuries a player can suffer. The legendary Kobe Bryant had the same type of injury and while he recovered and got back to play, he was never quite the same. The good thing in Clarke's case is that he's much younger than Kobe was when he got hurt, this gives him a good chance of coming back just as good as he was before the injury.

The small forward is in the middle of his contract extension, signed last year for $52 million and four years. With Brandon Clarke fully recovered and Ja Morant at 100%, Memphis will be looking to leave this painful season behind. The team has had a campaign full of health issues among the squad. Tough luck for the Grizzlies, but the bright side of their story is that they were looking like the next young exciting team. They've managed to put together a team that looks solid with at least a very good chance to compete for a play-in position.