Deni Avdija Questionable Against Cavs as Blazers Face Back-to-Back Grind

Deni Avdija is officially questionable for Wednesday night with an ankle issue, because the basketball gods simply refuse to let the Portland Trail Blazers have nice things.

The Blazers are staring down the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. If Avdija sits, Portland’s wing rotation goes from an intriguing young core to a group of guys who look like they won a radio contest to be on the court.

"Underdog NBA reported: 'Deni Avdija (ankle) listed questionable for Wednesday.'"

This timing stings for a player who has been finding his rhythm. Avdija has been showing exactly why Portland wanted him, recently dropping a highly efficient 26 points and nine rebounds while shooting 9-for-13 from the floor. He is the connective tissue this rebuilding roster desperately needs to look like a functional basketball team.

But throwing a hobbled forward out there against Cleveland's defense on zero days of rest is a recipe for disaster. The NBA's 82-game grind is undefeated, and playing through an ankle tweak in a random Wednesday game is the kind of decision that turns a day-to-day injury into a month-long vacation.

For anyone holding Avdija props or relying on him in fantasy, this is pure agony. You are now entirely at the mercy of a pregame shootaround update that will inevitably drop five minutes after your lineup locks.

Keep an eye on the final injury report closer to tip-off. If Portland plays it smart and rests him, expect the rest of the Blazers' young wings to get force-fed minutes as they try to survive the second leg of this back-to-back.