The Portland Trail Blazers are having an absolutely horrible season this year. They stand 12th in the Western Conference with a record of 19 wins and 22 losses. Chauncey Billups is having problems managing this squad that has performed poorly on both the defensive and offensive end.
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Ranked 15th in the league in offense, the Blazers lack the firepower necessary to win games. They rely too heavily on their top three scorers. This is why, despite having three players with 20+ points per game, Portland is still unable to create a real threat against good defense.
The lack of depth has proven to be their downfall. Unfortunately for them, the Blazers may have to play another game with their best scorer Damian Lillard sidelined.
Damian Lillard remains questionable against the Mavericks
In their official injury report, Portland has marked Damian Lillard as questionable. Because of a troubling ankle sprain, his availability for the match will be a game-time decision. Usually, the questionable status shows that the staff is concerned about their players’ injuries.
In this case, Damian is a valuable asset. In fact, he might just be the most valuable asset for the Blazers. They would most likely refrain from playing him and further risk aggravating his sprain.
Blazers once again say Damian Lillard is questionable tomorrow vs. Dallas with a left ankle sprain.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) January 14, 2023
Without Damian Lillard on the active roster, the Blazers will be offensively weakened. The team needs his help to compete with the Mavericks who are riding the Luka Doncic high. Unfortunately for fans, that will most likely not happen on Saturday.
Lillard’s stats in 2022-23
Though Lillard has played only 29 games this season, he has been quite impressive on the offensive end. Lillard is currently averaging 28.2 points per game while playing just 35.8 minutes per game. Lillard is also averaging 3.9 three-pointers per game.
In addition to his scoring output, Lillard has been highly efficient with his passing. He is registering 7 assists per game. If Portland ends up playing without him on Saturday, they will definitely miss Dame for all of his contributions.
