The Trail Blazers are back at Moda Center Saturday night to host the Detroit Pistons in the first night of a back-to-back.

Portland officially signed veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to a 10-day contract on Thursday.

Hollis-Jefferson had to complete the NBA’s health and safety protocols, which included a half dozen negative COVID-19 tests.

Ahead of Saturday’s contest, Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts gave his thoughts on how RHJ will fit in the rotation.

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Portland will be without its starting center Jusuf Nurkic against the Pistons due to ‘injury management, right knee inflammation.’

Which will aid to Hollis-Jefferson seeing the floor.

Coach Stotts sees the 26-year-old forward playing a similar role to that of Robert Covington. 

“The main thing is to get [Rondae] in the game, especially with Nurk out,” Stotts said pregame. “He’s best with a small lineup playing four, even five. In some ways he’s like RoCo at the defensive end. We’ll see how the game goes. But that’s kind of my general feeling right now.”

Signing Hollis-Jefferson allowed the Blazers to reach the league-required minimum of 14 players that team was required to have by Friday. 

As for Nurk, coach Stotts mentioned that “he should play tomorrow” against the Miami Heat.

Since Nurkic’s knee inflammation flared up early in the week, the team is taking all the necessary steps to make sure the knee inflammation does not turn into anything else.

The Blazers and Pistons tip-off at 7:00p.m. PT on NBCSNW.

Portland will then welcome in the Miami Heat Sunday at 7:00p.m. PT.