No one can deny Damian Lillard is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and most likely the greatest player in Portland Trail Blazers history. However, his greatness hasn’t translated into much success in the playoffs.
The Blazers have constantly failed Lillard. His supporting cast is good enough to make the playoffs, not good enough to compete for an NBA Championship, and they can’t always rely on his heroics.
That, combined with his most recent comments, has made a lot of people around the league wonder whether he should try and force his way out of the team as James Harden did with the Houston Rockets.
Damian Lillard Says The Blazers Came Up Short
Lillard was clearly frustrated after the game. He set multiple records in the series vs. the Nuggets but once again, Terry Stotts was outcoached when it mattered the most and the rest of his team just didn’t do enough to keep them in the game:
“We fought through a lot of injuries this season. We’ve had some adversities and stayed together like a true team does. we went to battle. we didn’t make excuses,” Lillard told the media. “Like I said, (it’s a) disappointing end but we don’t hang our heads in those situations. We just came up short.”
Lillard Post Cryptic Message On Instagram, Sparks Trade Rumors
And, right after the game, Lillard posted a picture leaving the arena with a caption that raised a lot of eyebrows around the NBA, hinting at the possibility of asking out from the franchise that drafted him:
“How long should I stay dedicated? How long til opportunity meet preparation,” Lillard wrote, quoting the late Nipsey Hussle.
Lillard has stated multiple times that he intends to finish his career with the Portland Trail Blazers and that he wants to bring a championship to the organization instead of chasing a ring elsewhere. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first – or last – time a thing like this happens in the league.
Should he demand a trade, multiple teams would be interested in his services, but it’s clear that his asking price would be quite steep. There’s nothing going on right now but we’ll definitely hear a lot from this story in the months to come.
