After an incredible start to the 2022-23 NBA season for the Portland Trail Blazers, the team has gone into a downward spiral and never recovered, with the team sitting at 32-42 and on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention.
At this point, the NBA playoffs are a pipedream for the Blazers, which unfortunately has resulted in the team shutting superstar guard Damian Lillard for the rest of the season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
.@ShamsCharania: “I’m told Damian Lillard essentially has been shut down for the remainder of the season…”@ChandlerParsons gives his take on Dame’s future with the #Blazers 👀#RunItBack pic.twitter.com/iSNhP4kPzU
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) March 27, 2023
With Lillard being the face of the franchise and having dealt with his fair share of injuries the last couple of years, the team taking the precautions approach to the end of the season makes a lot of sense.
There’s no point in risking Lillard’s long-term health with a freak injury in what has turned out to be another forgettable season for Portland.
Although Lillard put on a show with his uncanny scoring ability this season, especially the 71-point game against the Houston Rockets last month, the future Hall of Famer will reluctantly watch from the sidelines for the rest of the way.
The real question for the Blazers is what the future holds for Lillard.
The team continues to struggle year in, and year out, with no assurances things will change with the superstar on the roster moving forward.
Lillard has made it clear many times over the past few years that he wants to stay with the Blazers.
That stance could change in the near future, with the future in Portland looking bleak in terms of competing for a championship.
NEXT: Damian Lillard Makes His Thoughts On The Future Very Clear
