Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers had high hopes for their team this year when the season began.
Those hopes were consistently dashed again and again as the squad experienced many problems playing well as a unit and staying healthy.
It all came to a head when star player Damian Lillard was sidelined due to injury and was forced to have abdominal surgery.
Now the Blazers have an update on Lillard and it pretty much confirms this season is finished for the struggling team.
Damian Lillard will miss the remainder of the season, sources tell @ShamsCharania.
However, sources said Lillard is making tremendous progress in his recovery from abdominal surgery and has looked strong in workouts.
More: https://t.co/SXVmv7tzI1 pic.twitter.com/IA9rxffzef
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 21, 2022
Lillard will miss the remainder of the season, according to a new report.
That means that the Blazers should pretty much throw in the towel for this season and consider it all but finished.
However, sources say that Lillard is recovering quite well from his surgery so that means he could come back in even better shape when next season begins.
So should Blazers fanatics start getting hyped for next season?
Season Of Change
A lot has happened to the Trail Blazers this year.
The biggest development was the loss of Lillard to injury and surgery.
But they also traded away some other star players, including long-time guard CJ McCollum.
This was a huge shake-up for the Blazers and a sign that they are willing to do whatever it takes to give Lillard the best team possible, no matter who they must trade.
The loss of McCollum hurt Lillard because they are close friends but it might be key to rebuilding the team.
In the offseason, the team will spend the money and few assets they’ve gained to try and land some more talent.
They really want Lillard to come back to a Portland squad built for success.
The Blazers know that if they don’t make some progress in the West soon then they can pretty much kiss Lillard goodbye.
NEXT: Damian Lillard Remains On Track With His Recovery