Scoot Henderson is Questionable Against Lakers
· Yahoo Sports
Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson is questionable with left ankle soreness for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, in a matchup of unbeaten teams. Portland comes in 2-0 after defeating Phoenix and Sacramento. Los Angeles comes in 3-0 after beating Golden State, Los Angeles (Clippers) and Utah.
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His status may not be announced until closer to pregame shootaround or tip-off.
If he does not play, who absorbs his minutes?
Sidy Cissoko would be the front-runner for coach Micah Nori. Cissoko has put up 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game early; Nori may want to see how he handles logging heavy minutes.
Henderson's early-season injury is an indicator of how the backcourt shuffles throughout the first few months of the season, especially since Shaedon Sharpe is out after meniscus surgery in the summer and is out until at least the All-Star break.
Portland's listed starters are Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. Cissoko has the best opportunity to consistently step in when one of the bench guards is out.
If he plays, how does his ankle hold up?
Something to watch for is his minutes. Henderson is one of the most athletic guards in the league. It will be noticeable in his lateral movements and quick bursts. Also watch to see if the Blazers manage his workload in the second game of a road trip.
Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III and Cissoko each played more than 18 minutes off the bench on Oct. 23 against the Sacramento Kings.
Henderson appeared in 30 games last season and has had injury concerns since he entered the league. From muscle injuries to a concussion and hip and ankle problems across multiple seasons, the Blazers may be careful with Henderson and sit him out on Tuesday.
They certainly have the depth in the backcourt to make it work, but if Henderson and Sharpe both miss significant time, it could throw off the flow.
A player listed as "questionable" is one of the least informative injury reports across all sports. Fans and reporters won't know if Henderson is playing or not until later in the day.
If he does suit up, it will be against a Lakers team in which Luka Doncic scored 52 on Sunday afternoon against the Utah Jazz. It is an early test for Portland, and with a win, they could find themselves as one of the few remaining teams to be undefeated in the NBA.