Amid what has been a challenging season for the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Chauncey Billups isn’t blind to the heroics of Damian Lillard.
Although the team has lost a lot of ground since their 9-3 start, Lillard has been having one of his best seasons to date, and it’s one of the few things keeping Portland’s season alive.
Ahead of their game against Atalanta on Monday, coach Billups spoke to the media about Lillard and his importance to the franchise as its only proven star.
(via Kurt Streeter of the New York Times)
“He’s one of a kind,” said Chauncey Billups, who spent nearly two decades playing in the N.B.A. and is now the Blazers’ second-year head coach. “We understand how lucky we are to have him,” Billups said. “Everyone in this city, and on this team, wants to win for Dame.”
It’s clear that Portland wants to help Dame deliver a championship, but they have failed to build a contender so far. Even with a core of Dame, Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, and Jerami Grant this season, the Trail Blazers still aren’t ready to compete at the highest level.
The question is, what moves will this team make in response to their struggles, and how much patience will Lillard continue to have in a team that continually lets him down?
Trail Blazers Active In Talks Ahead Of NBA Trade Deadline
This season, the Blazers have yet to make any tweaks to their roster, but that could change as the trade deadline gets closer. According to the latest report from Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer, Portland is open to trading most of its rotation players.
The rest of the Blazers’ roster seems far more unsettled ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Portland has given rival teams the impression the Blazers are open to discussing the majority of their players, particularly Josh Hart and Jusuf Nurkic, sources said, as the franchise remains committed to building a playoff contender around Lillard. Portland has engaged teams with an eye toward size with athleticism, plus wing-shooting defenders, sources said.
It remains to be seen what kind of deal the Blazers will executive before February 9th, but they should be feeling some urgency to salvage this season for Damian Lillard, who continues to be one of the best point guards in the league.
As long as he’s healthy and playing like a superstar, the Blazers are going to do whatever they can to win as much as possible.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
