Damian Lillard not concerned about Blazers’ early-season skid
The Portland Trail Blazers are falling way behind in the unforgiving Western Conference, but their superstar player is not panicking.
After the Blazers lost to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday to fall to 4-8 on the year, All-NBA guard Damian Lillard addressed the team’s rough sledding.
“I don’t really get concerned,” he said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “It’s not a great feeling, but it’s not the end of the world. We’re up against it.
“This is a tough position to be in, especially when your expectations were much higher,” Lillard added. “But like I said before, it’s a lot of games to be played … I think, especially for us, we always find a way to turn it around.”
The 29-year-old Lillard has been brilliant individually to start the season with averages of 30.5 points and 6.9 assists per game, both career-highs. But the Blazers have plummeted to 13th in the West and have struggled to withstand the injury absences of big men Zach Collins (shoulder) and Jusuf Nurkic (leg).
Some of Lillard’s teammates have been drawing criticism for the team’s funk, but the four-time All-Star himself understands that there is a lot of season left.
