After getting injured on Dec. 29 and playing two games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, Xavier Henry will make his return against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
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Although Henry is pain free, he is still out of game shape after being out of action for nearly two months according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell:
Xavier Henry returned to LAL after 2 games w/t @DFenders on rehab assignment. He will play restricted minutes at Portland tomorrow.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 2, 2014
During his time with the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, Henry averaged 17 points and 3.5 assists in just 24.5 minutes per game. Although Henry will make his return on Monday, he will be on a minutes restriction as he tries to get himself into shape.
At one point in the season, the entire backcourt was depleted by injuries and Henry was forced to play point guard before he eventually got injured as well. This time around, Henry returns with the small forward and shooting guard positions completely crowded with the trade for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks.
Before getting injured, Henry was having his best season during his young career. Formerly a lottery pick from the 2010 NBA Draft, Henry appeared in 31 games and was averaging 10.1 points which is a career-high. While it’s unclear how many minutes he will play, having Henry for the remainder of this season will be a welcomed addition.
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