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Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard’s 2022-23 season is over. The Blazers (32-43), five games behind the OKC Thunder (37-38) for the 10th seed and final play-in spot, have decided to shut him down.
Injuries to Lillard (calf), Jusuf Nurkic (knee), Jerami Grant (quad contusion) and Anfernee Simons (foot) have torpedoed Portland's playoff aspirations. “Dame Time” hasn’t played in the last three games.
With their season all but on the books, the Blazers ultimately had to sideline Damian Lillard, who was having a career year in scoring. He played 58 games and averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists.
Lillard hit a career-best 46.3% shooting from the field, including 37.1% from behind the arc. He ended his season leading the NBA in most 40-point games with 15. Portland’s star point guard is also tied with Donovan Mitchell for the most points in a single game this season with 71.
Damian Lillard may have just played his best season for the Portland Trail Blazers. And yet, they go home early again for the second straight year.
Portland’s best record this season came after a win against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 17 when they went 17-13. They were last at the .500 mark on Feb. 4 after winning against the Washington Wizards and carrying a 26-26 win-loss slate.
Where Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers will go from here remains to be seen. The Blazers aren’t in prime position to get a free agent, which leaves “Dame Time” with yet another potentially losing season in 2023-24.
He has also made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want to be part of a rebuild.
The Blazers have a young and talented roster led by Lillard. They may become a threat to go deep in the Western Conference playoffs only when “Dame Dolla” is on the wrong side of 30.
Portland owes Lillard a massive $94.3 million over the next two years. Moving him at 32 years old with that kind of salary may be extremely difficult. The point guard may also prefer not to be moved after swearing loyalty to the franchise.
Damian Lillard stands by his loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers
In an era where stars have regularly jumped from one team to another in search of a championship, Damian Lillard has stood out. He has put his faith and loyalty in the Portland Trail Blazers since he was picked sixth in the 2012 NBA Draft.
He hasn’t followed in the footsteps of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, James Harden and many other stars. Despite Portland’s struggles, he has remained confident that he’ll be able to bring glory to the championship-starved city.
Here’s what Damian Lillard had to say last year on “The Dave Pasch Podcast” after fans on social media kept urging him to get out of Rip City:
"I want to win. I want to win in Portland. It would mean something to me to do it here. ... This is me being loyal to who I am, and how I feel and what I want to see happen. I would love to finish my career here. That's my plan, and that's that."
The Portland Trail Blazers could be looking at another rinse-and-repeat 2023-24 season.
You may also like to read: "Not just for the name on the back but the name on the front" - Damian Lillard voices his concerns about loyalty in NBA as he signs 2-year extension with Blazers
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