The Trail Blazers are going through a rough patch in the month of April. They’ve gone 2-4 with wins against losing teams, and BIG losses to winning teams. One big factor to the team’s success, or failure, is Damian Lillard. After exploding for numerous 30 point games in the first half of this season, Lillard has taken a noticeable step back, this month.
How bad of a step back is it?
Damian Lillard is currently averaging 20.2 points, shooting 37% from three-point land and sporting a 38% FG. What’s most alarming are the points. He hasn’t netted a 30 point game since April 2nd, and at no point has Dame scored about 25 points since then. There’s another stat line that may indicate a sense of exhaustion from the All-Star. Damian Lillard is currently 76.5% from the free throw line in the month of April.
Lillard usually strikes around the 85% mark for FT during the course of a season. Many fans and analysts wonder if the weight is getting too much for the point guard. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic’s absence from the first 1/3 of this season created a void on the roster that Dame filled with 30-50 point performances, and virtuoso buzzer beaters.
With just under 20 games remaining in the NBA season the Trail Blazers are facing an identity crisis, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Nate McMillen’s final days in Rip City. In order for this team to succeed in the playoffs it will require Damian Lillard to find his form from many months ago.
