The Portland Trail Blazers have been playing extremely shorthanded as of late, which has contributed to an abrupt halt to a promising start to the season. These injuries have derailed Portland's momentum; they've now lost four of their last five games, resulting in a 9-14 record overall.
Still, there have been a few silver linings as these injuries have forced their remaining healthy players to step outside of their comfort zone into expanded roles and minutes. The obvious positive takeaway is the play of Deni Avdija, who is making a strong case for his first-ever All-Star appearance.