The All-Star break seems to have delivered the desired results for the Portland Trail Blazers on the injury front. They entered the mid-season break dealing with a myriad of injuries, and it seems that the players have recovered after getting an extended period of rest. It's still a mixed bag of injury updates for Portland, though, as they head into their first game back on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings.
The good news for the Blazers is they now expect Jerami Grant to return to action after missing his team's last two games due to a head injury. Portland head coach Chauncey Billups reported that Grant has now cleared the NBA's concussion protocol and that he has been cleared to play on Thursday, per team beat reporter Sean Highkin.
Jusuf Nurkic, however, is still dealing with a calf injury. This left calf strain has kept him sidelined for the Blazers' last seven games, and unfortunately, he still has no firm timetable to return. In the meantime, Drew Eubanks is expected to remain in the starting lineup in Nurkic's stead.
It's pretty much the same case for Anfernee Simons who was forced to pull out of the NBA 3-Point Contest due to a right ankle injury. The 23-year-old was diagnosed with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, and while Billups said that Simons is progressing, he too has no return date set as of yet.
Justise Winslow still isn't close to returning either. The veteran swingman has been out of action for the past two months with an ankle injury and it remains to be seen when he will return to the court.
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