Portland Trail Blazers Rumors: Nicolas Batum, C.J. McCollum Injured As Playoffs Approach
Portland Trail Blazers rumors now provide bad news to fans. The Blazers lost Nicolas Batum and C.J. McCollum to injuries early in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night (April 13). In a game that doesn’t even matter for the Blazers when it comes to the 2015 NBA Playoffs, the team lost three players, including Chris Kaman during the second half. As revealed by the Oregonian, the team is really banged up as the postseason approaches.
Toward the end of the first quarter, Nicolas Batum injured his right knee coming down with a rebound. News from the Portland Trail Blazers is slightly good, though, as X-Rays performed on his leg came back negative. In the second quarter, C.J. McCollum turned his ankle in the backcourt and had to leave the game. Then during the third quarter, Chris Kaman tweaked his back again. All three players stayed off the court once their injuries had occurred. Blazers coach Terry Stotts addressed the effort of his team during the post-game, rather than focusing on indivisual injuries.
“I like the way we competed. I was disappointed with the way we played against Utah. With Nic going down and CJ going down we kept competing. It was a physical game.”
With a lack of depth on the court, the Blazers ended up losing to the Thunder, but it wasn’t a game that impacts where the team sits in the NBA standings. When the 2015 NBA Playoffs begin, the Portland Trail Blazers will be the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. The team will open up a first-round series on the road, as the teams battling for the No. 5 seed will all finish with a better record than the Blazers. That opponent won’t be known until all the games on Wednesday (April 15) have been played.
As reported previously on the Inquisitr, the Portland Trail Blazers made a deal to acquire Arron Afflalo at the trade deadline this season. The move was to add depth to a roster that really needed it, but now it appears that move might not have been enough. Injuries to LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, and Afflalo as well have derailed this team from possibly becoming a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the 2015 NBA Playoffs. Now, injuries to Nicolas Batum, C.J. McCollum, and Chris Kaman show that this team is going to be limping into the postseason.
It is likely that the team will address all these injury concerns at some point on Tuesday (April 14), but with the playoffs set to begin on April 18, there is very little time for rest and recuperation. The Blazers need the knee of Nicolas Batum to be fine, the ankle of C.J. McCollum to heal quickly, and the back of Chris Kaman to hold up. The team also needs the ankle and thumb injuries of LaMarcus Aldridge to not hamper him when the postseason begins. In addition to all that, the Portland Trail Blazers still need Arron Afflalo to come back from his strained right shoulder before the playoffs begin.
[Image Source: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]
