LaMarcus Aldridge Injury: Updates on Trail Blazers Star's Thumb and Return
Portland Trail Blazers star big man LaMarcus Aldridge left Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings with a left thumb injury. An MRI revealed Aldridge tore a ligament in his thumb. He revealed he is postponing the surgery and will play Saturday against the Wizards.
Continue for updates.
Delayed Surgery Could Cause Aldridge to Miss Training Camp
Sunday, Jan. 25
Fans may be relieved that LaMarcus Aldridge will play with a torn ligament in his thumb, however it could have ramifications down the line according to Jason Quick of The Oregonian:
"Although Aldridge is not risking his long-term health by playing with a torn ligament, a specialist in the field said he could now be facing a recovery that will take twice as long -- up to three or four months.
And if the Blazers reach the conference finals, or the NBA Finals, his recovery could extend into training camp, which typically opens around October 1.
"
Aldridge Postponing Surgery, Will Play vs. Wizards
Saturday, Jan. 24
The Trail Blazers announced Aldridge's surgery isn't coming yet, and that he'll play Saturday:
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports passed along quotes from Aldridge:
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski had more details on the decision:
Wojnarowski weighed in on what this means going forward:
Aldridge Will Need Surgery on Torn Ligament
Thursday, Jan. 22
The Trail Blazers reported Aldridge's MRI revealed a torn thumb ligament. While he has chosen to postpone the surgery, it was announced it will eventually be required:
Aldridge spoke about his injury to the media:
Rotowire's Jeff Stotts notes this is the same injury Nick Young sustained in the preseason:
"Aldridge’s injury is the same injury that Nick Young suffered in preseason. Originally believed to be out 8 weeks, returned in just over 6.
— Jeff Stotts (@RotowireATC) January 23, 2015"
On Wednesday, Jan. 21 Freeman revealed Aldridge's first MRI was inconclusive:
"For those wondering why it's taking so long for LaMarcus Aldridge to have a magnetic resonance imaging test performed on his injured left hand, Terry Stotts finally provided an answer Wednesday night in Phoenix.
It's not.
Turns out the Trail Blazers' All-Star power forward already had one MRI test performed this week. But, Stotts said, the results were "inconclusive," so the team has scheduled a second test for Thursday.
"For whatever reason, they needed to do another one," the Blazers' coach said before his team's Wednesday night matchup against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center.
"
Aldridge Out vs. Suns, MRI Scheduled for This Week
Tuesday, Jan. 20
The Trail Blazers reported Aldridge is out Wednesday and will undergo an MRI this week:
Erik Gundersen of The Columbian reported Aldridge didn't make the trip to Phoenix with his team:
Aldridge Suffers Thumb Injury
Monday, Jan. 19
The team reported the details on Aldridge's status:
The team's PR account would later provide an update after an x-ray:
Coach Terry Stotts provided an update after the game via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, who also clarified that it's a thumb injury:
The injury occurred in the second quarter when Aldridge swatted the ball away from DeMarcus Cousins. Watch the play below:
Aldridge has evolved into one of the NBA's premier frontcourt players, putting up approximately 23 points and 11 rebounds on average over the past season-plus.
The team account highlighted a milestone Aldridge achieved just before the new year rang in:
Other than an upper respiratory illness that caused Aldridge to miss three games earlier in the season, the 29-year-old veteran has been unimpeded in helping the Blazers emerge as a legitimate force in the loaded Western Conference.
The play of rising point guard Damian Lillard has helped the cause, giving the team two legitimate studs to count on. A lot of what makes Portland so successful on offense is how difficult of a matchup Aldridge is.
As long as Aldridge isn't out for a long time, though, the Blazers should be able to survive on the strength of the exceptional defense they have been playing in 2014-15.
Lillard can still create enough opportunities for his teammates, and if Portland keeps opponents off the scoreboard as it has among the Association's best, the absence of Aldridge is one it can handle in the short term.
