The Portland Trail Blazers are heading into Saturday night’s rematch against the Sacramento Kings with a growing list of injuries-and one major question mark in Jerami Grant.
Grant has been listed as questionable with soreness in his left Achilles tendon, a red flag for any player, let alone one who logged 40 hard-fought minutes just last night. He was instrumental in Portland’s dramatic overtime win over Sacramento, putting up 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and a block. That kind of all-around production is hard to replace, especially from a player who’s consistently been one of the Blazers' most reliable two-way contributors.
The concern here isn’t just whether Grant will suit up on Saturday-it’s the nature of the injury itself. Achilles soreness can be a precursor to something more serious, and with the NBA calendar still in its early stages, the Blazers will have to weigh short-term competitiveness against long-term health.
Portland’s injury report heading into the second leg of this back-to-back is a tough read. A total of six players are currently listed as out:
- Javonte Cooke remains with the G League squad.
- Scoot Henderson is still sidelined with a left hamstring tear.
- Jrue Holiday continues to recover from a right calf strain.
- Damian Lillard is out for the season as he rehabs from his own Achilles tear.
- Matisse Thybulle is dealing with a torn ligament in his left thumb.
- Blake Wesley is nursing a right foot fracture.
That’s a significant chunk of the rotation unavailable, and it puts even more pressure on the remaining healthy bodies to step up-especially if Grant can’t go.
The absence of Holiday and Thybulle continues to sting on the defensive end. Both are high-level perimeter defenders, and without them, Portland has had to lean on younger, less experienced players to shoulder the load against high-octane backcourts like Sacramento’s.
With Henderson and Wesley still out, the Blazers’ guard depth remains thin, and the offense has had to get creative to generate consistent looks. And while Lillard’s absence was expected from the start of the season, his leadership and shot creation are missed in moments when the game tightens up late.
The silver lining? Despite the injuries, Portland managed to gut out a win against the Kings in overtime-a testament to the resilience of this group. But with a rematch looming and a depleted roster, the Blazers might need to dig even deeper.
If Grant is unavailable, it’ll be all hands on deck. And for a team already stretched thin, that could mean big minutes and big opportunities for Portland’s younger players to make their mark.