The Portland Trailblazers missed depth in the frontcourt with Zach Collins missing the first two games of the series, and he will miss the rest of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Portland’s Zach Collins will require season-ending ankle surgery, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 21, 2020
Portland was already without Trevor Ariza, Rodney Hood and Nassir Little but their injury woes continue with the loss of Collins.
Collins averaged seven points and 6.3 rebounds per game in just 11 games this season for the Trailblazers, and contributed half a block and steal per game on 26.4 minutes per game.
In Game 2, the Lakers seemingly scored at will in the paint and were able to body the Portland bigs into submission. Those woes will only continue for the Trailblazers as their depth suffers with the lack of Collins in the rotation. In Game 1, Hassan Whiteside and Jusef Nurkic found themselves in foul trouble, and if they continue to foul at that rate could spell trouble for Portland in future games in this postseason series.
You hate to see any injuries as a sports fan, but the loss of Collins will only help the Lakers going forward. We hope for a speedy recovery for Zach Collins.