Blazers To Decide On Sitting Lillard, Surgery Soon?

"Lillard has averaged 24 points per contest in 29 games this season, his lowest output since the 2014-15 campaign. He’s also shooting a career-low 40% from the field and 32.4% from the 3-point line."

To be fair to whomever might write, post, or comment about it, that sounds like a bit of a regression....for whatever reason. I hope he does shut it down so he can allow himself to get back to a full 100%. HIs competitive nature which we all love, won't let him take the time off, but it is needed in the bigger picture.

 

Timing couldn't be better to shut him down.

 

This should not even be a conversation. Shut him down this year.

 

Shut him down harder than the Pelicans sweep and pray that MeJ comes back healthy enough to give his value a little boost again before the deadline. The rest will follow...

 

Yep PRIORITY ONE is a HEALTHY Dame! Whether surgery or an extended rest of season rest we need to address that NOW! Once that decision is made we can go about redoing the roster via trades etc

 

Time for the young guys to shine!

 

Can we add a poll?

 

Regression? Let’s just be really clear that the fall-off in his numbers relates to his injury and, perhaps early on, to getting acclimated to Billups’ new system. His 32 points per game in the 7 games after his return from the injection and before the Laker game say that there is zero reason to believe that a Dame who is fully recovered from this injury is going to be anything less than his All-NBA self.

 

there are posters here who have been getting louder and louder in trashing Dame and calling for him to be traded. It's essential that they can argue he has "regressed' and is over the hill in order to justify that position. They will say it over and over and over until and unless Dame returns to form

 

Why, is your sister in town!? #BAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

 

Oh, I’m aware of the motivation. Just applying a little pushback to it.

 

Many of us aren't trashing Dame. We just realize he is getting older, and we have little faith we can put pieces around him to make a contender. Many of us want to keep Dame. But if it means keeping Dame and continuing on as a first round and out team, it becomes time to trade him for assets.

Right now our only hope of putting a contender around Dame is keeping a high lotto pick and using that to bring in more help through trade.

 

I certainly understand that thought process. Where I get off the bus is the idea of trading Dame for draft picks and young players without giving the quick rebuild by next fall a chance.

If Dame really is going to be fighting this abdominal injury throughout the rest of the season and needs surgery before next, then it would be stupid to not shut him down. I'm all in on whatever is needed to put an All-Star caliber player or two next to him by next fall. If the Blazers and Dame choose that route, then there's a question of what to do with CJ the rest of the year. Trading him before the deadline for Simmons or another potential star could screw up the tank-athon. I'd favor sitting CJ the rest of the year and making the moves over the summer, but I'm not sure that's feasible. If CJ is fully recovered, he's not going to want to sit.

 

I'm completely on board with getting our high lotto pick and using it this offseason to retool. I would rather we keep Dame and be able to get him a competitive team. I just have low faith we can pull it off. If we can't, trade him to acquire assets for a rebuild.

 

I get that....I actually agree with most of it

but that's not all that is going on in this forum

 

https://www.nba.com/blazers/lillard-undergo-further-evaluation-and-consultation-abdominal-injury

LILLARD TO UNDERGO FURTHER EVALUATION AND CONSULTATION ON ABDOMINAL INJURY
PORTLAND GUARD WILL BE REEVALUATED NEXT WEEK
Posted: Jan 05, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. (January 5, 2022) – Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will undergo further evaluation and consultation concerning his lower abdominal tendinopathy, the team announced today.

Lillard will miss Portland's next three games against Miami (Jan. 5), Cleveland (Jan. 7) and Sacramento (Jan. 9). He will be reevaluated next week.

Further updates will be provided as appropriate.

In 29 games (all starts) this season, Lillard has averaged 24.0 points (40.2% FG, 32.4% 3-PT, 89.3% FT), 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 36.4 minutes per game. Among NBA leaders, he ranks 11th in scoring, 10th in assists and 16th in free throw percentage.

 

Good! Sit that dude. It was unnecessary to see him out there with a glorified summer league team putting his ass on the line the way he was. Not worth it.

 

What do they want to evaluate? It's obvious there is a big issue. Resting here and there is not enough. Especially when they play him 40 minutes when he is available.
Even worse than losing on purpose is shortening Dame's career on purpose.

 

Dame doesn't have the stomach for losing. Or does he? Now I'm confused.