Portland’s starting forward has been dealing with lower back tightness.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant has been Portland’s most consistent offensive weapon so far this season.
That’s why it was concerning for Chauncey Billups and crew when Grant was forced to exit the Blazers’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday after only 10 minutes with lower back soreness.
Grant was questionable for the Blazers’ home matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Sunday while dealing with the injury, but he managed to play 36 minutes, scoring 24 points in the loss.
After the game, Grant talked about the back injury and whether it was something that he expected to linger.
“Definitely manage. I think I’m okay. A little tightness, nothing too serious though.”
That’s good news for a Blazers team that needs a healthy Jerami Grant as it approaches the NBA All-Star break. Portland has guards Scoot Henderson, Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons all deserving playing time in the backcourt. That means that, while it hurts, missing a Shaedon Sharpe for two weeks here, or an Anfernee Simons for a month there isn’t the end of the world.
But Grant isn’t really standing in anyone’s way in the frontcourt. Jabari Walker is starting at the other forward spot, ostensibly making Grant the team’s small forward. But the only real reserves that Portland has at the forward spots are Matisse Thybulle and Toumani Camara. Both players are defensive stalwarts, but neither can reasonably fill Grant’s ability to iso and get the Blazers a bucket when they need one.
Hopefully, Grant’s injury doesn’t linger. Lower back issues can be tricky, and usually the only thing that fixes them is rest.
The Blazers won’t have a chance to rest after battling the Bulls. Portland hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night in the second of a back-to-back.
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