The Portland Trail Blazers have had a whirlwind of a season — on and off the court. Off the court, Chauncey Billups is at the center of the gambling scandal in the NBA. Tiago Splitter has taken over as head coach, and he won four of his first five games with the team. Since then, the Trail Blazers have lost seven of their last nine, including their last four.
Friday night is the start of a three-game road trip, and it is not an easy one. The Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Milwaukee Bucks are each .500 or better. This season is starting to look less promising for Portland, but that should not diminish the excitement for the future.
Damian Lillard is back on the Trail Blazers after a brief stint in Milwaukee. Despite his torn Achilles tendon, Portland gave their All-Star guard a two-year contract. One of those years will be a rehab year, but Lillard will be healthy for the start of next season. He has recently offered a positive outlook on the future of the Blazers.
“… I had to go away for this team to be assembled. And now it’s a team that I would have wanted to play on for years. So now I have a year to connect with this team while building my body up to get ready to go,” Lillard told The Athletic’s Jason Quick.
Lillard is confident in the team he is a part of, and he believes the future in Portland could be bright.
Damian Lillard Knows His Role On the Trail Blazers
Lillard is going to miss the entirety of the year, but that does not mean his impact is not felt. He is no stranger to rough years in Portland, and his experience through those bad times will help him lead this year’s team.
“Hey, we might lose five more games, but what matters is not what we say to the media. It’s how we walk into the locker room and talk to each other, or whether we get to practice and it’s quiet and nobody says anything … like, you gotta have that feeling of ‘Man, this sucks.’ But you have to have the actions of ‘this is not breaking me,” Lillard said, per Quick.
The Blazers could very well lose the next five games, and they may finish 20 games under .500 when all is said and done. However, Lillard is urging his team to keep fighting and not to let these rough times get them down.
“Delivering that messaging, that experience, is kind of my position on this team,” The 35-year-old said.
Lillard Is Not the Only Injury
Portland has good talent on the team, but they are hurting from injuries. Scoot Henderson is a notable absence. Henderson is dealing with a hamstring injury that has held him out all year. His timetable for return is still up in the air, but the Blazers would love to get their former No. 3 overall pick back.
Smaller injuries are Robert Williams III, Jrue Holiday, and Shaedon Sharpe. All three of those players are important to the team, but have missed some time this year. All of them could return as soon as Friday, but their absence is felt.
Portland’s season is not a total wash just yet. They are in the Play-In picture and could make the playoffs. But next year is the season to look forward to.
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