Whiteside (ankle) only did non-contact work at Saturday's practice, but he said he'll be ready to play in the Trail Blazers' regular-season opener Wednesday against the Nuggets, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.

EDGE Analysis

A sprained left ankle has limited Whiteside during camp, but it appears he'll be ready for opening tip. He appeared in three preseason games, averaging a nice 19.2 fantasy points across 17.2 minutes. While there's still some cloudiness regarding the Blazers' frontcourt rotation, Whiteside should get plenty of chances to prove he's a viable option to play starter's minutes.