“Damian Lillard could be playing through injury”: Portland Trail Blazers beat writer conjectures about superstar PG’s health status following Dame’s unprecedented dip in production

The Portland Trail Blazers are 11-12 to start the season off following a dismal run of performances by talisman Damian Lillard.

Damian Lillard has been the life blood and soul of a franchise that has struggled to stay relevant for decades. The Blazers are the ‘Brotherhood with one Banner’ – having won the 1977 NBA trophy led by Bill Walton.

There’s a lot that needs to be changed in the hometown of Nike for them to become championship contenders. They’ve been dependent on their combo guard duo for years to bail them out.

There’s clearly a dearth of defensive AND offensive talent on the Portland Trail Blazers. Their roster seems no better than any iteration they’ve put out in the past decade or so.

In the midst of this turmoil, Lillard’s 10th professional season has been the worst of his career. The whistles have been slow to blow, his shot has been bouncing in and out of rims.

Dame has been unable to drive the ball with any of his past impunity as defenders have wisened up to his foul-drawing maneuvers. His 2-point percentage of 48.9% is the lowest it’s been since 2015-16.

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Blazers beat writer conjectures about whether Damian Lillard is playing through a serious injury

Sunday columnist for The Oregonian Steve Duin quotes podcast host Josh Lloyd as saying:

“There is conjecture out there that Lillard is suffering through a decently significant injury, that worsened in Tokyo and probably should’ve had surgery on his abdomen. He is struggling to get lift on his 3s or to finish at the rim.”

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It is also being conjectured that this injury is over 3 years old, dating back to the 2018 playoffs. Lillard was rendered completely ineffective in their series sweep against the Pelicans. He was unable to beat the high traps and double-teams he faced in that series.

We would hope that for the sake of his own long-term health and career, Damian Lillard decides to take time off and get the surgery he requires. It would be a shame to see one of the most electric basketball players ever having his career cut short.