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The Portland Trail Blazers overcame what would have been a torrid offseason by retaining franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard despite multiple trade rumors surrounding the superstar.
Dame is reported to have been frustrated with the Blazers' lack of effort to build a championship-calibre team around him after yet another first-round playoff exit. That led to various rumors surrounding the star. Portland, though, managed to convince him to stay after a couple of key moves in the offseason, such as hiring a new head coach.
Another reason for Lillard's change of heart was the 2020-21 NBA Finals. There he saw Giannis Antetokounmpo's perseverance and determination to stick with his franchise bear fruit as the latter won the NBA Championship.
That motivated Lillard to stick with the Portland Trail Blazers despite the opportunity to force a move to a better team. He expects to lead his team to a championship like Giannis Antetokounmpo did with the Bucks.
Dame has the chance to make a historic run this season. He could lead the Blazers to the promised land while breaking multiple franchise records along the way. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five franchise milestones Damian Lillard could achieve with the Portland Trail Blazers this season.
#5 Steals
Damian Lillard is a player who has been known for his elite offensive efficiency. He has been ranked in the top five in the league in offensive ratings more often than not in recent years.
However, his team's defensive shortcomings largely peg him back in the MVP race against guards who are better defenders or play for teams that play better defense than the Blazers.
Lillard is a high-energy player who puts in the same effort at both ends of the court. He uses his experience and high basketball IQ to come up with smart steals, averaging at least one steal per game in his nine-year tenure in the NBA.
If Lillard manages to keep up with his career average this year, he will be on course to surpass Clifford Robinson for the no.6 position in all-time steals for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Dame is now at 665 steals, 32 short of sixth-placed Robinson. Lillard has a chance to improve his individual defense and rack up the numbers under Chauncey Billups, who places a lot of emphasis on the defensive end of the court.
#4 Games played
Damian Lillard has been one of the most durable superstars in the league, missing less than 70 games only twice in his nine-year tenure with the Blazers.
Dame's durability has helped the Blazers qualify for the playoffs from unlikely situations like they did last season. He is committed to staying healthy and keeping his body in peak condition while leading his team from the front every game. That is something not often seen with a lot of superstars in the 'load management' era.
Damian Lillard has a chance to overtake Terry Porter to ascend to number three in the Blazers' games-played leaderboard if he remains injury-free this season. Lillard has played 682 games, 77 games behind third-placed Porter.
#3 Assists
Damian Lillard has a knack for finding the right spots and making the right plays, leading to easy buckets for his teammates. Being the focal point of an offense gives one higher gravity than most players on the court. But only the elite players like Lillard know how to utilize that to create chances for others and themselves.
Dame has an elite passing ability and court vision that helps him pass under duress without turning the ball over. Lillard has averaged 6.6 assists throughout his career. He has also helped players such as CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony elevate their games by providing them with open looks around collapsing defenses.
Dame is a pick-and-roll savant with the ability to drive in, step back and pop or pass it to the rolling big man or a wide-open shooter. That gives him and his teammates enough open looks to make it count.
If Lillard manages to stay healthy, he could easily average seven or more assists per game, considering his array of moves and dazzling passes. Dame sits in third place, 420 assists behind Clyde Drexler, in Portland's career leaders for assists. If he manages to keep up with his career average, he should pass Drexler to move to second spot.
#2 Free Throws
Damian Lillard's ability to drive into the lane, step back and pop and shoot difficult shots with contact often helps him get to the charity stripe.
Lillard has averaged 5.5 free throws in his nine-year stint in the league. The increase in his offensive proficiency over the last four years has helped him average more free throws. Last season, he averaged 6.7 free throws in 7.2 attempts, shooting well over 92% from the stripe.
Dame's offensive arsenal often helps him get to the line. If he equals or betters his career average and stays healthy, he could move into first place in the team's all-time free-throw list. He is 42 free throws behind first-placed Clyde Drexler at the moment.
#1 Points
Damian Lillard has been a marksman of the highest quality and a magician with a ton of tricks up his sleeve. He has an array of offensive weapons to utilize as he bamboozles defenses.
His elite offensive proficiency allows him to find different ways to score, whether it is using pick-and-roll with deadly efficiency or pulling up from half court to sink three-pointers. Lillard is one of the few elite offensive geniuses who can score from almost anywhere on the court.
Dame's offensive firepower has helped him average 24.7 points throughout his career. He has the ability to score in bundles and hit clutch shots whenever his team needs him to. Going by his averages in the last two seasons, Lillard is all set to average at least 29 points during the 2021-22 season.
He's now in second place in the team's all-time point-scorers list, 1226 points behind Clyde Drexler. Considering his career average and form in the past few seasons, he could surpass Drexler, firmly placing himself as the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
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