Blazers superstar Damian Lillard rubbishes rumors of being frustrated with his team. The All-Star guard maintains his loyalty towards his franchise.
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It would not be wrong to say that Damian Lillard hasn’t had the perfect start to the 2021-22 season. The Portland Trail Blazers currently hold a disappointing 11-18 record in the west. The team is struggling to be in playoff contention, especially with CJ Mccollum out with a collapsed lung.
Blazers superstar Lillard has been struggling from the field. Though Dame-Time has ended his shooting slump, he still has to make amends for his poor performances. The former rookie of the year is currently averaging 22.0 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 4.2 RPG.
The six-time All-Star is shooting 38.4% from the field and 30.5% from the 3-point line. It is disappointing to see Lillard shoot so poorly, after he had entered the conversation with Stephen Curry for one of the best shooters in the league currently.
Lillard recently squashed rumors of wanting a trade and being sour on his team. However, Lillard did admit to being frustrated with his recent performances.
Damian Lillard addresses rumors of wanting out of the Trail Blazers franchise.
Ever since the first-round elimination of the Blazers in the 2021 playoffs, there have been constant rumors of trade surrounding Lillard. Though he has constantly maintained his stance of wanting to be in Portland, his trade rumors refuse to die.
During the recent off-season, top organizations in the NBA tried poaching the Dame-Time. However, they failed, with Lillard even admitting declining an offer to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis in LA. The Olympic gold medalist has never advocated the idea of super teams.
Though Lillard has maintained his loyalty towards the Blazers, it is in the best interest of both parties that Lillard exits the organization. In his 10-seasons with the Blazers, Lillard has been to the conference finals only once and got swept.
Damian Lillard expresses loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers
“People are saying, ‘Dame is frustrated.’ I am frustrated with losing and not playing my best. But that doesn’t mean I’m sour on my team and I’m looking elsewhere. … That has never been me.”
(Via The Undefeated) pic.twitter.com/uLnrxs5XyV
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) December 17, 2021
With Dame-Time asking for a two-year $107M contract extension, it only makes sense that the Blazers trade him. The organization has tried all the tricks in the books to make things work, the most recent being the signing of Chauncey Billups as the new head coach.
On the other hand, fans of Lillard want to see him lift the Larry O’Brien trophy at least once in his career. Thus he needs to depart from Portland. The 31-year old has always wanted to be in Portland, but it may not be one of the most sound decisions for Dame-Time.
In an era where players can’t wait to join forces to win a championship, Lillard has been quite an exception.