Early End Of The Season For Lillard

It is looking like an early off-season start for Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. Shams Charania of The Athletic posted that the the team is “leaning toward” ending the season for the All-Star prior to the final eight games of the season.

A looming calf injury has placed Lillard on the injury report yet again, missing the most recent matchup against the Chicago Bulls and remaining out for Sunday’s 118-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lillard has averaged 32.3 ppg throughout the season, including an incredible 71 point performance not long ago but has had minimal help on the court. as The Blazers currently with a 32-43 record, placing them thirteenth in the Western Conference. The Blazers are three and a half games behind of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament with only eight games left in the regular season.

Lillard is not the only starter that was not seen on the court for Sunday’s game, joining Jerami Grant (quad), Anfernee Simons (foot), and Jusuf Nurkić (knee) on the injured list.

This calf injury occurred during the team’s loss to the Utah Jazz on November 19^th, causing Lillard to miss seven games – fourteen games the entire season – which pales in comparison to the fifty-three games he was forced to miss last season after an abdominal surgery.

Still, with the small possibility of making it into the playoffs, mixed with the large likelihood of receiving a high lottery pick, it is very plausible that the Blazers will opt towards extra healing time for their star player, and regroup for what they hope is a better run next season.