Heading out of the All-Star break, the Portland Trail Blazers were expected to be without LaMarcus Aldridge for approximately a week as a result of a groin strain. The team got a bit of encouraging news on Tuesday morning, but despite that, it looks as if Aldridge will be on the sidelines when the Blazers and Nuggets tip-off this evening.
#Blazers F LaMarcus Aldridge (groin) joined the team to Denver but will not play tonight. There's no update on his status.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 25, 2014
Chris Haynes of Comcast SportsNet Northwest reports that Aldridge has, in fact, rejoined the team, but he will be missing this game as result of lingering groin issues. This will be the fourth consecutive game where Portland has been without their best player, but they’ve managed to stay afloat, winning 2 out of the 3 games despite some lackluster competition in Minnesota and Utah.
Aldridge has been a legitimate MVP candidate this season, averaging a robust 23.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, and it’s frankly a good thing that the schedule opened up for Portland when it did since they are a completely different team in his absence. It wouldn’t be a stretch to expect Aldridge to be ready to go when the Blazers return home against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, but nothing is set in stone with a lingering soft-tissue injury.