Big Risk? LaMarcus Aldridge Returns, Delays Surgery

Photo Credit: Bruce Ely – Oregon Live

Just days after the Portland Trailblazers announced that star power-forward LaMarcus Aldridge will be out indefinitely due to a thumb injury, Aldridge decided to return to action.

The Blazers lost two straight without their leading scorer and it must have been enough for him to decide to forgo surgery and get back in action. On Saturday, the same day Aldridge announced his surprising return, the Blazers won a tough matchup against the Washington Wizards 103-96 behind Aldridge’s 26 point, nine rebound performance.

Aldridge wore a splint on his left thumb and commented about his decision after Saturday’s game to USA Today. “(The thumb is) a little sore, but not too bad,” Aldridge explained on Sunday. “I thought last night went well, because I really didn’t have too many moments where it got too painful. I thought our medical staff did a good job of getting me a brace that could kind of protect, and they taped it in a good position where if it got hit it wouldn’t take too much of a pounding. I thought it was good last night.”

Ultimately, Aldridge has to be careful to not do further damage to his injury, but it seems like the team will need him more than ever.

Starting forward Nicolas Batum re-aggravated his sprained right wrist last Thursday against the Celtics and missed the Washington game. On top of that big men Robin Lopez and Joel Freeland have already been out with a fractured right hand and a strained right shoulder.

Portland is 32-13 and are third in the Western Conference standings. This is a risky game that Aldridge is playing and he knows it: “This wasn’t a one-game thing,” Aldridge said. “Once I said I was going to try, then I was back. And if it became too much, then I was going to have surgery. … So as of now, I’m back. But if I get it whacked or if something happens where I can’t tolerate it and I’m not playing at a good enough level to help the team, then I’ll have surgery. But as of now, I think they have done a good job of protecting it, so I’m back for the season and then I’ll just have surgery in the off-season.”

In the stacked Western Conference anything crucial can happen on a weekly basis, and it seems that Portland’s season rides on one thumb.

*Quotes per USA Today Sports*