Norman Powell playing Saturday vs. Celtics after returning from quad injury Thursday

December 4 update: Powell is playing for the Trail Blazers against the Celtics.

December 4 update: Powell played 28 minutes in Thursday’s game against the Spurs and he is listed as probable for Portland’s Saturday contest against the Celtics. After missing two games with the quad injury, Powell appears to be healthy again for the Trail Blazers.

Update: Powell will be out again Tuesday when the Trail Blazers take on the Pistons. He’s officially listed as day-to-day for the injury, so the forward should hopefully be back in the lineup soon.

The Portland Trail Blazers will be without starting small forward Norman Powell in Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to a quad injury. Powell suffered the injury in the team’s Friday loss to the Warriors. He went to the locker room in that game and did not return, suggesting the injury was somewhat serious.

Norman Powell injury: Fantasy basketball impact

Powell was getting consistent minutes for Portland, averaging 16.9 points per game. His efficiency has been tremendous this season as well, with the forward shooting 50-40-80 across the board. With Powell out, look for Nassir Little, Robert Covington and Tony Snell to get more minutes at the forward position. They’ll be the ones to absorb most of Powell’s shots, although Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will still command most of the opportunities in Portland’s offense.

Betting impact

Losing a starter is tough, so the Blazers probably will lose some ground on the betting lines. Prospective bettors might want to fade Portland until Powell returns, even with its dynamic backcourt intact. The Trail Blazers simply don’t have the depth to make up for Powell’s absence immediately.