LaMarcus Aldridge returns from illness Tuesday

The Portland Trail Blazers will have their mid-range maestro conducting the offense on Tuesday when they take on the Toronto Raptors.

After missing back-to-back games and three of the last four due to an illness, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will make his return. He is not expected to play his normal minutes load - he's ninth in the NBA at 36.2 minutes a night - but any amount of Aldridge is obviously better than none at all.

In the one game Aldridge has been able to play since Dec. 20, he played 45 minutes, later succumbing to the illness once again. He was somewhat ineffective in that outing but his presence makes an enormous difference for Portland. In 28 games, he's averaging 22.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, and the team's offense has been 10.6 points per-100 possessions better with him on the floor.

The Blazers took both meetings against the Raptors a season ago, with Aldridge scoring 52 points with 26 rebounds and five assists over those two outings.

Thomas Robinson had started in Aldridge's place but struggled to impress, as has been the case for most of his career so far. He'll return to his customary reserve role, soaking up whatever minutes Aldridge is unable to.