2 min read • January 06, 2022
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The Trail Blazers announced on Wednesday that they will hold out star point guard Damian Lillard for at least the next 3 games as they re-evaluate the severity of his lower abdominal tendinopathy.
This will be his 2nd multi-game absence from the ailment this season, the first coming from Nov. 30 to Dec. 8, after which he decided to undergo a cortisone injection to relieve pain. He returned for 9 games, averaging 29.6 points and 6.2 assists on 41.3% shooting, before the most recent break.
Our team of ProBasketballDocs inferred in late November that a short-term absence would not be enough to resolve the core muscle injury that has bothered Lillard since the Olympics, and lingered for a few years by his own admission.
It appears the Blazers are close to reaching the same conclusion our Docs drew: that the 31-year-old's best path forward may be to surgically repair the muscle injury, meaning his season would essentially be over.
Head coach Chauncey Billups said Wednesday shutting Lillard down is "probably going to be the route that we go if he doesn't get some kind of relief there."
The chronic nature of the injury and the frequency of his recent aggravations point to a lengthy absence. Core muscle injuries are already difficult to solve, and the Blazers and Lillard have been unable to do so in the last 5 months.
The 14-23 Blazers are in the midst of a lost season as the franchise transitions into it's next leadership regime and attempts to salvage the final years of Lillard's prime, which has been interrupted by the nagging injury.
The 6-time all-star is averaging 24 points, his lowest since 2014-15, on 55% true shooting, his worst since his rookie season in 2012-13.
Every traditional and advanced stat across the board represents his lowest in years: 19 shots per game, 6.2 free throw attempts, 0.6 steals, 113 offensive rating, and -3 defensive box plus-minus. Those numbers are his lowest since 2014-15, '15-16, ever, '15-16, and in his career, respectively.
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