Is Malcolm Brogdon playing tonight? Injuries, lineups for Blazers vs. Cavs

The Portland Trail Blazers have been an injury-plagued squad to begin the 2023-24 NBA season. The team has been without its best scorer since opening night, it’s starting point guard since Nov. 3 and its sixth man – unsurprisingly, a third guard – for the past two-plus games.

Center Robert Williams III is done for the season after undergoing knee surgery, and Ish Wainright hasn’t played since Portland claimed him off waivers before the start of the regular season.

The Trail Blazers host the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight (Nov. 15) looking to end a four-game losing streak in the second game of a back-to-back after dropping an in-season tournament contest to the Utah Jazz.

Which, if any, of Portland’s walking wounded be back to face the Cavs?

Will Malcolm Brogdon be back tonight for the Blazers?

UPDATE: Malcolm Brogdon has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Cavaliers

Brogdon is listed as questionable on the injury report for tonight’s game against Cleveland. Considering the Trail Blazers’ quest to develop young players and…not win?…games this season – and Brogdon’s long injury history – it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sit this one out.

Without Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson, Brogdon was averaging nearly 28 minutes a night. Without Simons, Scoot and Brogdon, 26-year-old journeyman Skylar Mays has gotten his chance to shine and has run with it.

The LSU product had 18 points and 11 assists against the Sacramento Kings following Brogdon’s exit after five minutes and then dropped 16 points and 12 assists against the Los Angeles Lakers. Mays again finished with double-digit assists (10) in the loss against the Jazz and has turned the ball over only 6 times in those three games.

If Brogdon can’t go, Mays will get his third consecutive start which, to be honest, wouldn’t be the worst thing for Portland.

Full injury report for Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers

The full injury report for tonight’s game between Portland and Cleveland is as follows:

Portland Trail Blazers:

• Questionable: Malcolm Brogdon, hamstring
• Out: Anfernee Simons (thumb surgery); Robert Williams III (knee surgery); Scoot Henderson (ankle)

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Out: Ricky Rubio; Isaac Okoro (knee); Darius Garland (neck); Ty Jerome (ankle)

Projected starting lineups for Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers

Portland Trail Blazers:

• Skylar Mays, PG
• Shaedon Sharpe, SG
• Toumani Camara, SF
• Jerami Grant, PF
• Deandre Ayton, C

Cleveland Cavaliers:

• Donovan Mitchell, PG
• Caris LeVert, SG
• Max Strus, SF
• Evan Mobley, PF
• Jarrett Allen, C