Following a terrible campaign in which they've completely given up before the regular season ended, the Blazers made moves to try and help Damian Lillard this year.
However, it didn't work out. With not many games left in the 2022-23, Portland is 13th in the Western Conference with a 31-40 record, which makes it hard for them to believe in a playoff spot.
It's a shame for Dame, who has continued to prove he's one of the greatest shooters in NBA history this season. At 32, Lillard has made it clear to the front office that he's done with the rebuilding mentality.
Damian Lillard warns Blazers' brass he's tired of rebuild mode
“That's not what I'm interested in," Lillard said in regard to rebuilding, via NBA Central on Twitter. "That's what the frustrating part of it is. Talking about what's gonna happen next season. And us 'building.' That's not what I'm here to do, especially at this stage of my career.
"We pretty much fallen out of the race for the 10th spot," Lillard said his team's loss to the Clippers on Sunday. "I love to play, I love the competition and I haven't been ready to give that up. But it does come a point in time when do you stop putting your competitive nature out front."
Fans can certainly feel for Lillard, who is definitely one of the league's biggest stars who had little to no help throughout his career in Portland. Unfortunately, this is how things are. The Blazers will have to once again retool their roster, but they must take Dame's mood into account.
