National Basketball Association

Trail Blazers: Festus Ezeli Returns to Practice Court

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Trail Blazers receive a boost at practice on Monday – the return of Festus Ezeli

The Portland Trail Blazers other offseason acquisition, Festus Ezeli, returned to practice on Monday. According to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian, Ezeli is cleared for ‘limited’ practice. Monday’s return to practice did include four-on-four drills. A block on Damian Lillard highlighted his successful return to the practice court. Ezeli still does not have a specific timetable to return to make a 100% return to action.

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Given the offseason news around Ezeli thus far, this return to limited practice is a very good sign. Back in August, he received a bone marrow aspirate injection in his injured knee. The injection is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it can be a red flag that the knee is not healing properly. The relatively inexpensive contract Ezeli signed started to make sense.

Luckily, the Trail Blazers roster is very deep – especially in the front-court. Ezeli’s return is a luxury to the bench, not a necessity. Portland will continue to bring Ezeli back cautiously. After Portland’s success last season, they know that a healthy Ezeli can be a major weapon in the playoffs. Portland experienced his defensive prowess first hand during the Western Conference Semifinals versus the Warriors.

Improving Portland’s 21st ranked defense was a top priority this offseason. Ezeli’s return is imperative to the potential improvement. A top tier NBA defense starts with a center that can erase many of the mistakes guards make on the perimeter.