The loss of Jusuf Nurkic was a huge blow to Blazers and hoops fans alike, and now Portland is forced to quickly figure out their new frontcourt rotation with a little more than a handful of games until playoff time.
Keep an eye on Zach Collins, who gets my bet for best value play moving forward. His salary is currently bouncing around in the $4,000s, and his last couple games since the Nurkic injury have shown some promise of what could be a strong final stretch to the regular season. In a swinging gate of bigs, it seems like Collins would have the best chance of sticking, offering up efficient scoring, boards, and blocks.
Collins and the Blazers start a three-game road trip in Atlanta tonight, before closing out the year with games against the Pistons, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Nuggets (twice), Lakers, and Kings.