LaMarcus Aldridge injured his left hand in the Portland Trail Blazers’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. This is the same hand in which Aldridge has a torn radial collateral ligament in his thumb. Though the injuries are localized to the same appendage, they are not in the same digit and are considered unrelated at this time. X-rays came back negative, so there are no broken bones involved.
Portland F LaMarcus Aldridge (left hand injury) X-ray is negative.
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) March 22, 2015
The injury occurred in the first quarter when Grizzlies guard Tony Allen reached in to steal the ball from Aldridge, raking the outermost portion of Aldridge’s hand from wrist to pinky finger. Aldridge played through the pain, even finishing out the first half, before exiting without return.
In the postgame interview, Aldridge stated that his status for Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors is yet unknown:
"“As of right now, I can’t use [my hand]. So it wouldn’t be possible right now, but what we got? Three days? Two days? Hopefully these next two days are really good.”"
The full postgame interview is available on SoundCloud via Trail Blazers beat writer Casey Holdahl.
Although the Trail Blazers need to be making a strong push to maintain homecourt advantage in the upcoming NBA Playoffs, Aldridge will not rush his recovery, which is probably for the better. Unfortunately, he was not the only Trail Blazer to succumb to injury in Memphis.
Nicolas Batum landed awkwardly in the first quarter, sending pain shooting from his legs up into his back. He too missed the second half of Saturday’s contest and remained unable to stand comfortably after the game, despite consulting a trainer upon injury.
"“I can’t really stay standing right now, I’ve got to stay seated or lay down on my back.” – via CSNNW"
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With both players questionable moving forward, the Trail Blazers are in very real danger of slipping in the standings. Although they are presently ranked fourth in the Western Conference, they are just one game ahead of seventh seed. The fifth-ranked Los Angeles Clippers (45-25), sixth-ranked San Antonio Spurs (43-25), and the seventh-ranked Dallas Mavericks (44-26) are closing in fast.
If Aldridge and Batum are unable to play in the immediate future, the Trail Blazers will be missing three players from their starting lineup, including Wesley Matthews (Achilles). It is of the utmost importance that Head Coach Terry Stotts find a working rotation in accordance to player availability before things get out of hand.
Jan 21, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Dorell Wright (1) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Blazers 118-113. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The projected starting lineup in the worst case scenario is Damian Lillard, Arron Afflalo, Dorell Wright, Meyers Leonard, and Robin Lopez. Perhaps formidable enough on paper, but with so many players simultaneously stepping forth as the “next man up,” Portland’s depth becomes paper thin.
If the Trail Blazers do fall all the way to seventh before season’s end (eighth is unlikely, given their separation from the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are dealing with injuries of their own), who are they most likely to meet in the first round of the playoffs? The Memphis Grizzlies, against whom the Trail Blazers are now 0-4 on the season. When it rains it pours in the Pacific Northwest.
The Trail Blazers must hold on for 14 more regular season games, but will hopefully be allowed to do so with Aldridge and Batum. If not, they will have to rely on their second unit to come through for them, most immediately against the number one team in the West on Tuesday. Check back for injury status updates as this story develops.