Deni Avdija Injury Update Could Save Blazers Season

The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to get by without All-Star forward Deni Avdija, but it has been admittedly difficult.

Luckily for the Blazers, acting head coach Tiago Splitter believes Avdija will be back in the lineup very soon.

"We have guys coming back. We're still trying to find our game out there, the lineups and who will play well with who. You have lineups that are more defensive, lineups that crash the boards better, and lineups that are better offensively. We still don't have a balance," Splitter said.

"We gotta find it, and now Deni is probably coming back soon, so we gotta be ready to adjust and find great first and second units that are balanced. Can't wait to get to them. We need these two days to rest now, to practice, to get ready for the next game."

Deni Avdija Return Inching Closer

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Splitter neglected to say when exactly Avdija would make his return to the Blazers lineup, but he is talking as if there is a chance that he gets back on the court within the next week or so. The Blazers have two games left on the road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, and that could provide an opportunity for him to get back on the court.

Regardless of whether Avdija comes back on the road trip or not, the Blazers are going to need to figure out how to line up the first and second unit going into a possible Play-In tournament. The Blazers will find themselves in must-win situations, and they need to make sure they have the ideal rotation for those games.

The games between now and then will be used as trial runs for that eventual moment, but it's difficult to have those when there are minutes restrictions on players that are coming back from injury and others shuttling in and out of the lineup.

It remains to be seen when the Blazers will be able to get their ideal lineups intact, but the team needs to hope it happens sooner rather than later to get as many cracks at making adjustments. It could be the difference between advancing to the playoffs or getting eliminated before the postseason.

The Blazers' next game comes against the Grizzlies tomorrow at 5 p.m. PT inside the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.