Damian Lillard on future in Portland: If we don't use our assets to build a competitive team, a separate conversation will need to be had
Clutch Points: “I want to have an opportunity to win in Portland… We got an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete. If we can’t do that… then it’s a separate conversation we would have to have” Damian Lillard on the Blazers’ future (via @SHOsports)
Report also came out recently that they consider sharpe untouchable. Lilliard trade actually seems possible now
I’d give him a 2 year window before his game starts dropping off. Small guards don’t age well and he’s going to be 33 next month. Portland would be wise to move on at this point.
Like how Curry has dropped off? Chris Paul at 35 still had two All-Star seasons left. Nash had 3 good years post-35.
Not a very long list. I’d say this doesn’t bode well..
Damian Lillard games played over the last 4 seasons:
2019 season: 66 games
2020 season: 67 games
2021 season: 29 games
2022 season: 58 games
Seems like the wheels are already starting to fall off. If he was 30 instead of turning 33 next month, I’d consider it. Pass for me.
Sure his games need to be managed, but he just had the highest TS% of his career at 64.5% while taking BY FAR the most 3 pointers AND FT's in his career. He also blew past his career high in ppg while still being above his career averages for rpg and apg. In other words, he just had the best season of his career. Yeah, he might miss a few more games than Brown, but Brown hasn't exactly been a picture of health either (in 19 and 20 Lillard played more games than Brown in each season and Brown only had 9 more games than Lillard did this year). Of course the difference is, Lillard impacts his team on the scoreboard far more than Brown does (this year Lillard's on/off differential per 100 possessions was +12.8, while Brown was -3.8 ). Lillard has in fact never had a negative differential in the regular season, while Brown has been negative 4 of his 7 seasons.
So in sum, Lillard is significantly better and more impactful than Brown and for a team that is close to the title (i.e. Finals last year, Conf. Finals this year), even a slight improvement could be the difference between winning and losing a title. And I contend Lillard is a lot more than just a slight improvement.