Portland Trail Blazers: 5 players who need a big final stretch after hiatus

When the NBA season comes back from suspension, the Portland Trail Blazers will need a big push to get them into the playoffs from these players.

Despite having a season to forget through injury the Portland Trail Blazers are still in touch with the playoffs. This is in large part due to the current big three, Hassan Whiteside, Damian Lillard, and CJ McCollum.

The best thing for the Trail Blazers moving forward is they are expecting to get most of their players back once the hiatus is finished. Jusuf Nurkic was named to play for the Trail Blazers in the game against the Houston Rockets before the suspension took effect on Mar. 15.

The Bosnian Beast is always a welcome addition on the court for the franchise considering he has averaged 15.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 0.9 steals in his two and a half active seasons with the Trail Blazers.

Likewise, Zach Collins, the third-year man out of Gonzaga, is expected to come back at some point in March. Collins has been out for all but three games of the season. The Trail Blazers thought enough of the 6’11” power forward to start him at the beginning of the season.

The only player that they will not get back from injury is Rodney Hood who will be out until next season thanks to his Achilles injury. Considering that the Trail Blazers have had their season ruined with injury, this is a tremendous position to be in for the potential final stretch of the season.

With that in mind, here are five players who need to have a big final stretch for the Portland Trail Blazers if and when this season resumes from its COVID-19-induced hiatus.