Could this be a season-ending injury?
Just when the Portland Trail Blazers thought Friday night’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks could not get any worse, it did.
Not only did Portland lose a game in which it was a double-digit favorite, but Jerami Grant also exited with a right calf injury and did not return. After the game, head coach Tiago Splitter spoke to the media and said Grant "felt a pop" in his calf and will undergo testing on Saturday.
And while it is important not to jump to conclusions before those results come back, anytime a player feels a pop, it usually is not a good sign.
That is what makes this so concerning for Portland. Grant has been one of the team’s most important players this season, appearing in 56 games while averaging roughly 30 minutes per night. He is also scoring 19 points per game and shooting nearly 39% from beyond the arc. For a team whose biggest weakness is already on the offensive end, losing one of its top scorers and best floor spacers would be a massive blow.
Nothing has been announced yet regarding how much time Grant could miss, if any, but the timing could hardly be worse. There are only a handful of games remaining before the play-in tournament begins, and every game matters for a Portland team trying to solidify its positioning.
With the Western Conference as crowded as it is, even the play-in field is loaded. The Clippers are playing some of their best basketball of the season, and the Warriors could have Stephen Curry back by then as well. Portland needs to be as close to full strength as possible.
The Blazers are already without Shaedon Sharpe and have dealt with plenty of injury adversity throughout the season. If Grant is forced to miss even a couple of weeks, that could effectively make this a season-ending injury in practical terms. And if that pop turns out to be something serious, it could be a brutal blow to Portland’s chances at making a postseason push.