NBA Notes: Blazers, Hornets, Kon Knueppel, Heat, Bam Adebayo

Trail Blazers

Injuries have gone from inconvenience to identity in Portland.

The Blazers entered the season hoping to stay in the play-in picture, but availability has never stabilized.

Jrue Holiday has missed nearly six weeks with a right calf strain that was initially projected as a 1-2 week absence. Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle have both lost time as well, while Scoot Henderson has yet to appear in a game.

Coach Tiago Splitter did not dance around it.

“It’s the injuries, my friend,” Splitter said, via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report. “It’s been hard to build any rhythm when we haven’t had continuity.”

That lack of continuity has shown up on both ends of the floor, and it has made Portland’s margin for error nearly nonexistent.

Hornets

There was some relief in Charlotte after Friday night.

Rookie Kon Knueppel exited early against Orlando with a right ankle sprain, but early evaluations suggest he avoided anything serious.

Coach Charles Lee said Knueppel’s competitiveness immediately showed itself.

“Kon is an insane competitor. He wants to come back for practice,” Lee said, via Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “But he’s made good progress so far. He’s been able to do a little bit on the court, and we’ll continue to see how he responds every day. As of now, it’s a right ankle sprain, and we’ll take it day to day.”

Knueppel has been central to the Hornets’ rotation, averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while starting 30 of 31 games. His shooting efficiency has been elite for a rookie, and Charlotte has felt his presence whenever he has been off the floor.

Heat

For Bam Adebayo, the pause mattered.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports Adebayo needed time to reset physically after dealing with lingering issues tied to overcompensation. The Heat believe the reset did its job.

“He really needed this time,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was dealing with some things because of overcompensation, and I think he’s feeling a lot better each day.”

Adebayo is listed as probable for Monday’s game against Denver after missing the previous two contests, a welcome sign for a Heat team that relies heavily on his presence at both ends.