Deni Avdija Injury Leads to Blazers Falling in Power Rankings

The Portland Trail Blazers are stumbling out of the gates in the second half of the season.

After losing by 54 points to the Denver Nuggets, the team lost star player Deni Avdija to an injury in their win against the Phoenix Suns. Their 1-1 record has NBA.com writer John Schumann pushing the Blazers back one spot in his latest power rankings. The team is now at No. 20 after being No. 19 last week.

"The Blazers got absolutely clobbered by the Nuggets on Friday, but they’ve won five of their last seven games and are back within two games of .500 after winning ugly against the shorthanded Suns on Sunday," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Blazers are 50-19 all-time against the Hornets/Bobcats, their best record against any opponent. They’ll face Charlotte twice in the next two weeks, with the first meeting being the second game of a five-game trip that begins Thursday in Chicago."

Blazers Take Hit in Power Rankings

Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie against Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The teams that rank below the Blazers in the power rankings are the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings.

The big stinger to the Blazers is the Avdija injury, which has hampered the team in the last couple of weeks. Avdija has missed ten games over the last month or so, and that absence could extend as the calendar turns to March.

"You have to wonder how much Deni Avdija is going to be able to play over the last seven weeks of the season. He played less than a minute in Phoenix on Sunday, leaving early (again) with continued back issues, and he’s played more than 20 minutes in just six of the Blazers’ last 18 games," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Blazers were much better with Avdija on the floor prior, but have been outscored by 18 points per 100 possessions in his limited (193) minutes over this 18-game stretch and have won seven of the 12 games in which he’s played fewer than 20."

The Blazers will look to move forward without Avdija as they return to the court against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7 p.m. PT inside the Moda Center in Portland. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.