NBA news on January 11, from the US open-air stand reporter Sean Highkin reported that Blazers star Lillard may have been reimbursed for the season. Previously, Lillard had missed 3 games due to an abdominal tendon injury, and the Blazers' 6-game trip to the West, he would not accompany the team, but would negotiate treatment plans with experts. The player, who was named to the NBA's 75 biggest stars, seems to have encountered an even bigger challenge when both his shooting percentage and three-point shooting rate fell to the worst of his career — injuries.
This season, the Blazers are worried about internal and external troubles. After firing meritorious coach Stotts and hiring rookie coach Billups, the Blazers not only failed to improve their defense, but also lost the magic weapon they had relied on for the past 9 years - offense. Lillard and McCollum are also plagued by injuries, leaving the Blazers' current record of only 15 wins and 24 losses, ranking 11th in the West. If nothing else, the Blazers have struggled to qualify directly to the playoffs this season.
And Lillard's own state has also fallen to the bottom of his career. The average of 24 points per game has fallen to a new low since the 14-15 season, rebounds, assists, steals, compared to the past two seasons have also declined to varying degrees. The most critical thing is the 40.2% shooting rate and 32.4% three-point shooting rate, all of which fell to career lows! Coupled with the fact that he has missed 10 games so far this season, injury + form has caused Lillard's wind rating to decline rapidly. The evaluation that he had wronged the demon Beast Howard was also very popular.
In fact, after 9 years of experimentation, it has been proved that with the combination of Lillard and McCollum's two guns, the Western Conference finals are already their limit. The duo has a naturally huge weakness, which is that the height is too short and the defense is too bad. Looking at Lillard's playoff performance, his efficiency is greatly reduced when he meets a great defender like Holliday, or when he encounters a bag. At the same time, he lacks the ability to get rid of the ball like Curry.
The Blazers are not short of money, former boss Paul Allen is the richest boss in the NBA, the same as Microsoft executives, his status is the same as today Ballmer. Even though Allen died in 2018, his family was ready to sell the team, but still injected the team with the money it deserved. Lillard was offered a four-year, $176 million contract extension and a two-year, $107 million early contract extension at the end of the season. But if the Blazers really want to change, Lillard should be the one who needs the passive knife the most!