LaMarcus Aldridge injured his left hand in the Blazers’ win over Minnesota and will not travel with the team to Phoenix for their game against the Suns. According to Casey Holdahl, the power forward was injured in the middle of the second quarter against the Timberwolves, and saw a hand specialist to assess the injury. He will have an MRI later in the week, and the timeline for his return is questionable. Aldridge has missed five games this season, and the Blazers will be without a lot of front court firepower tonight, as Joel Freeland (left shoulder strain) and Robin Lopez (broken right hand) will also not be playing.

Fantasy Impact

LaMarcus Aldridge is one of the best front-court players in the NBA, with three-straight All-Star appearances and has averaged 22.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game over the past four seasons.  This year, Aldridge has posted 20 double-doubles in his 38 games played, leading to 23.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, solidifying himself as a superstar in the front court. If his injury is deemed long-term by the MRI at the end of the week, fantasy owners need to quickly amend their rosters, considering that he was a first-round pick in most leagues. Given the situation with the Blazers’ front court, Victor Claver is a must-have streaming option. He may not be the greatest pickup, but with three players in the rotation out he will get playing time until they get healthy. He has averaged 8.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per 36 minutes this year, and his rebounding prowess could lead to double-double opportunities.