Portland Trail Blazers: Zach Collins out indefinitely after stress fracture

Portland Trail Blazers big Zach Collins has been ruled out indefinitely with a stress fracture. The seven-footer has now had surgery.

In a massive blow for the Portland Trail Blazers, big man Zach Collins has been ruled out of NBA basketball indefinitely. The Blazers announced the injury via Twitter, Collins has a left medial malleolus stress fracture, and has had revision surgery to correct this.

This is massive blow for the Blazers franchise, as Collins was their long-term backup big and potential starting four for 2021.

Collins has had a torrid last 12 months after dislocating his shoulder just four games into the 2020 season. That was a freak injury, but Collins put the work in so that he was able to return in the NBA Bubble when the season commenced in July.

Collins, though he struggled on both ends for touch and defensive impact, looked great physically.

Unfortunately, he then started experiencing ankle pain after 8 games in the Bubble and a medical assessment found he had floating bone that needed to be removed in a surgical procedure. Collins then had surgery in September to fix this issue, in what seemed to be a straight forward surgery.

He was meant to return in January amid what was planned to be a full recovery. This news is a serious setback for Collins as the shoulder injury that he had in November of 2020 was just a freak injury that wasn’t going to impact his long-term career.

Terry Stotts commented on the injury in an quote sourced by Oregon Live. 

"“I just really feel bad for Zach,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “He’s such a good young man. I like him as a person…I just I feel bad for him. I know he’ll work hard to come back, just like he did from his shoulder, just like he did from his foot. But especially for a young player who is trying to get his career on track the setbacks have been disappointing for him.”"

Ankle and foot issues in big men can be devastating for a players career. Though there is no longterm prognosis for Collins, that the Blazers have said he will be out indefinitely, means this a likely a serious injury.

We wish Collins well in what looks like a long recovery process.