Blazers Injury Report: Statuses of Multiple Key Starters vs Rockets Revealed

Will Portland have its full slate of starters against the surging Rockets?

Feb 4, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) controls the ball under pressure from Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) and center Deandre Ayton (2) and forward Toumani Camara (33) and guard Anfernee Simons (1) in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Will the Portland Trail Blazers have their full slate of starters against the surging Houston Rockets?

According to the NBA's most recent injury report, center Deandre Ayton has seen his status downgraded from doubtful to out as he continues to deal with a deep right index finger contusion. Starting power forward Jerami Grant, who had been questionable, has been upgraded from questionable to available. He's been dealing with an undisclosed illness. Point guard Anfernee Simons will return after missing several games with a right hand sprain. Unfortunately, Scoot Henderson — Simons' backup — is out with a left quad contusion.

Former two-time All-Defensive shooting guard/small forward Matisse Thybulle has yet to play a single contest in the 2024-25 season as he continues to heal from a right ankle sprain. Two-way player Bryce McGowens is on assignment to Portland's NBAGL affiliate, the Rip City Remix.

All of the 11-5 Rockets' players are available, outside of two-way players N'Faly Dante and Nate Williams, plus second-year shooting guard Cam Whitmore. All three are currently on assignment with Houston's G League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Though both clubs are now fairly young and sport many recent lottery draft picks, their upside and ambitions this year seem to be entirely different.

Houston, equipped with savvy-but-supplemental vets like Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green (yes, he's still in the NBA), has blossomed into this year's iteration of the 2023-24 Oklahoma City Thunder. Loaded with rapidly growing talent — especially leading scorers Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, plus young defense-first forwards Tari Eason and Amen Thompson –— the Rockets have emerged as a legitimate force in a talented conference.

Portland seems to have its sights set squarely on a rebuild. The Trail Blazers' three core players are 20-year-olds Donovan Clingan and Henderson, plus 21-year-old shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe. Portland does have plenty of veterans, highlighted by Ayton and Grant, but those players have been in trade rumors basically ever since the team offloaded former All-Star point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023 offseason. Thybulle, reserve center Robert Williams III, and even Simons could also all be on the block, as intriguing vets on reasonable contracts.

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