Summer in the NBA is a time for rest, relaxation, and the development of young talent into veterans. The Portland Trail Blazers are already missing one of its most important players in Jusuf Nurkic, who is unlikely to play until 2020.
Portland has tried to fortify its a big man lineup by adding both Hassan Whiteside and Pau Gasol this offseason. Zach Collins will also be expected to make a leap in his third year in the NBA.
For now, Collins’ development has taken a step back.
According to Dwight Jaynes of NBC Sports Northwest, Collins’ sprained his ankle and is now in a walking boot. He has a mild tear of a ligament in his ankle that did not require surgery.
Via NBCSNW:Portland Trail Blazer center-forward Zach Collins is recovering at his home in Las Vegas after sustaining a grade 2 sprain in his right ankle during a workout. Collins suffered the sprain and a torn ligament during a workout a couple of weeks ago, as confirmed by the Trail Blazers Wednesday.
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He has been on crutches and in a walking boot but is expected to be ready to play by the opening of the team’s training camp
It’s good news for Blazers fans that Collins didn’t need surgery and that he should be back in time for the regular season. Hopefully he is still working on the things he needs to get better at — most notably making his defensive rotations a little bit crisper and shot selection. Time spent healing up should also aid Collins, whose thumb on his shooting hand was banged up in the playoffs last year.
Collins will be an integral force on both offense and defense for Portland’s frontline, and they need him as healthy as he can be moving forward.