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Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (calf) has been upgraded to probable for Monday’s matchup with the Chicago Bulls, according to multiple reports. Aminu, the defensive leader of the team, has missed 13 games since straining his left calf against the Phoenix Suns on November 8.
Aminu’s impending return coincides with the recently improved defense of his teammates, so there is hope that the Trail Blazers can redouble their late successes on that end when he resumes his starting role.
The Trail Blazers held relatively even in Aminu’s absence, accruing six wins and seven losses. Although they experimented with different lineups early on, power forward Ed Davis proved to be the most reliable stopgap, averaging 5.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game through eight consecutive starts.
Aminu should be back on the court in time for the Trail Blazers’ upcoming 5-game road trip and the brutal December schedule to follow. Once he is officially back in action, the only player remaining on the Trail Blazers injury list will be Festus Ezeli (knee), for whom there have been no updates in recent weeks.