Memphis Grizzlies' Ronnie Brewer's Injury: One More Bad Sign For the Team

Be honest, it was going too well.

The Memphis Grizzlies had a winning record at the All-Star Break.

Zach Randolph made the Western Conference All-Star team.

And the team is contending for a playoff spot.

Memphis was due to run into some bad luck.

New team member Ronnie Brewer tore a hamstring and is out for at least three weeks, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal . He lasted about 12 minutes in last Friday's 100-87 loss to Miami.

Let's not even talk about what happened Sunday.

Memphis needed a rally and beat the New Jersey Nets. You know, the Nets that are considered one of the worst pro basketball teams in history? The same Nets team that some say could not beat the University of Kentucky.

Memphis was down 18 points before coming back and winning by 10. 

It is hard to miss the warning signs on the horizon when it comes to this team.

Memphis' big trade before the NBA Trade Deadline saw a first-round pick go to Utah in exchange for Brewer. News reports say that the injury is similar to Allen Iverson's preseason injury. Iverson sat for a month before playing. 

It is tough to judge a player from only 12 minutes of play. But the "good news:" We did not have to send players to Utah to make the deal happen. If we had, the bench would be even more shorthanded than it is now.

But I wrote about this trade before and thought it would be a good deal for both teams. I still think Brewer can be a good pickup for Memphis. Hopefully, he will get a chance to show what he can do this season.

I believe the next 10 games will tell us a lot about this team. Right now, there are five teams battling for the final two playoff spots: Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Memphis, and Portland.

Over the next 10 games, the Grizzlies play San Antonio, New Orleans, and Portland. They also play the Lakers on Tuesday, Chicago, Charlotte, and Boston.

It is going to be a tough stretch. But playoff teams should be able to play well enough to win a few of those games. If the team goes on an extended losing streak, it will put a damper on a lot of our playoff talk.