In the NBA regular season, the Blazers lost 113-125 to the Hornets, the record became 3 wins and 3 losses, and Lillard still performed badly in this game, playing 38 minutes with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists, including only 2 of 14 three-pointers. According to US media statistics, Lillard has made 56 three-point shots since the beginning of the game, shooting 13 goals, shooting 23.2%, compared with last season's nearly 40% three-point shooting rate. In addition, his average points per game has dropped from 28.8 points last season to 18.3 points, and Blazers fans can't help but ask, what is going on with Lillard this season? Let's analyze the reasons for this.
Reason 1: Lillard emulated Griffin and passively intended to join the Nets
In terms of Lillard's ability, it is understandable that one or two games have not played well, and it is somewhat impossible to say that he has continued to perform in several games, after all, he is an All-Star player and the core of the Blazers. This makes one wonder if Lillard wanted to emulate griffin from the Pistons. Griffin in the Pistons because of knee injury, the whole season is sick and crooked, played "extra careful" on the court, once the dunk king, even a dunk did not have a dunk, the Pistons had no choice but to buy out his contract, even after Griffin joined the Nets, just like a change of person, the performance on the court is lively, the impact of the knee injury is not seen at all, the basket dunks, nail board caps, these skills that were forgotten in the Pistons period, all remembered by the Nets. Pistons fans angrily said: "Griffin is a liar, he should win an Oscar!" ”
As we all know, the Nets have always wanted to get Lillard, and during the Tokyo Olympics, Durant and Lillard have developed a deep friendship, and whether they have reached some kind of tacit understanding between them is unknown. However, the Nets have been delayed in trading Irving this season, perhaps waiting for news from Lillard's side.
Reason 2: Lillard and Billups are not in line with each other's ideas, and he feels disrespected
After Billups came to the Blazers, he stressed that the team has no stars, and Lillard and CJ are more involved in the team's defense, which has made Lillard very unhappy. What's more, Billups wants to focus on cultivating Simmons Jr. this season and give him more possession, and let Lillard play more without the ball, Lillard has averaged more than 7 dribbles per game this season, from 43.9% last season to 30.6%, and the proportion of touching the ball for more than 6 seconds per round, from 52.1% last season to 40.3%, everyone knows that Lillard is a player who needs the ball, he is accustomed to finding the target star of shooting through the control of the rhythm of the ball, But now I'm almost a point pitcher.
In this game, Lillard's dissatisfaction was all manifested on the court, in addition to the marginal three-point wave shot, his defensive attitude also had a big problem, and the opposing players advanced the counterattack at the final critical moment of the game, and he himself hung up the frame in the backcourt. Billups once said: "Lillard is like a time bomb, he will soon usher in an outbreak." "Now it seems that Lillard is indeed a bomb, but I am afraid that it is Billups himself who has been blown up.
Overall, if the Blazers continue to be in such a state, it will be difficult to make the playoffs this season, and the team's general manager Olsey needs to seriously consider whether the team should let Lillard leave.