The Portland Trail Blazers received some troubling news Monday afternoon when it was announced that both Evan Turner and Rodney Hood are questionable to play against the LA Clippers for Tuesday's game at Staples Center.
Both Evan Turner (left knee) and Rodney Hood (right hip) are questionable for Tuesday's game vs. Clippers in L.A.
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) March 11, 2019
Evan Turner is dealing with a left knee injury that kept him out of the Blazers' last two games. He last played against the Grizzlies, albeit for only 10 minutes. Turner has been a consistent starter and is one of the Blazer's best perimeter defenders.
In 58 games this season, he is averaging 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Rodney Hood, on the other hand, aggravated his hip against the Suns and only played nine minutes. Since coming to the Blazers from the Cleveland Cavaliers, he has been a sparkplug off the bench.
In 13 games with Portland, the southpaw is averaging 7.8 points while shooting 35.1 percent from downtown.
These injuries come at an inopportune time for Portland. The team currently holds a record of 40-26, tied for the fourth seed in the West with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Additionally, they are only one game behind the surging Houston Rockets.
This means that if the Blazers can end the season on a high note, they could hypothetically go into the playoffs as the third seed. Getting home court in the first round will be very important, especially against the litany of solid Western Conference contenders.
Unfortunately, the Blazers are not known for their depth. They rely mainly on their two-star guards: Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. To make a late-season run at a higher seeding, they will need to field a nearly fully healthy roster.
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