Injuries in Pistons vs. Grizzlies look like cruel April Fool's joke

If you had to name the most disappointing team in the NBA this season, the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies would be in the running.

The Pistons were supposed to be competitive, to fight for a play-in spot, but instead have the worst record in the NBA for the second season in a row with far more questions than answers hovering over their roster, coaching staff and front office.

The Grizzlies were supposed to be title contenders again this season, but Ja Morant's suspension coupled with a slew of injuries turned Memphis from a contender into a team with a 24-50 record that is currently sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference.

Today's injury list seems like a cruel April Fool's joke, as the two teams have a combined 17 players with some level of injury. It might be faster to name the players who aren't injured in this one as the Pistons try to win two in a row, a rare occurrence this season.

This brings us back to April Fool's of the past, when we were still capable of making jokes about this team. I thought about making a similar joke about Tom Gores selling the team or Troy Weaver being fired but thought it too cruel given the current state of the Pistons, who have somehow devolved significantly from the Stan Van Gundy era.

The lesson here is that things can always get worse.

Detroit Pistons vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Injury update

Detroit will be missing Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Stanley Umude, Simone Fontecchio, Taj Gibson and Quentin Grimes. Both Cade Cunningham and Marcus Sasser are listed as questionable, Cade with knee injury management and Sasser with an illness.

The Grizzlies will be missing Ja Morant, Ziaire Williams, Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Vince Williams Jr. and Yuta Watanabe. John Konchar is listed as doubtful and Santi Aldama has been upgraded to questionable.

So if you were hoping to see some of the best young guards in the league go head-to-head, you'll have to wait until next season. But can I interest you in some GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia and Scottie Pippen Jr.? No? Well, how about some Tosan Evbuomwan, Chimezie Metu and Malachi Flynn?

Two of the Pistons' final eight games are against Memphis, so expect to see a lot of deep replacement players as the season winds down.