The Portland Trail Blazers’ ball movement complaints are at an all-time high, but is Damian Lillard really to blame for this?
Despite the fact Damian Lillard is averaging a career high in assists per game, the Portland Trail Blazers are dead last in the NBA in total assists and total passes per game. The ball movement has been subpar, but what more could you do in Dame’s position?
As I sit here watching the Trail Blazers struggle against a surging Miami Heat missing their best player, it’s impossible to wrap my head around the lineup the Blazers have on the court. Other than the fact that Dame is leading the charge, Lillard’s supporting cast are way below par.
Halfway through the very first quarter of action, and Portland’s lineup on the court features Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Kent Bazemore, Mario Hezonja, and Anthony Tolliver. As a superstar averaging nearly 27 points would you really want to pass the ball to some of these guys? Most of these players were intended to be end of the bench depth when they were brought aboard, and are now being forced to play significant minutes due to injuries.
To put it into perspective, the 26.9 points per game Dame is averaging is actually more than those four other players combined (25.1).
Dame has a winner’s mentality, always has and always will. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone around the league not named Russell Westbrook that would disagree with that sentiment. He’s putting everything he’s got into keeping this team afloat but at the end of the day, he’s surrounded by a bunch of players who lack the capabilities to be effective offensively.
Equal parts sports writer and diehard Trail Blazers fan, I watch an intense amount of Rip City basketball and if you’re reading this, you probably do too. So, let me ask you. Would you rather have Damian Lillard shooting off a ball-screen with no passes in the possession, or would you rather him put the ball into play in which it ends up in the hands of Hezonja or Tolliver?
This situation just isn’t fair for Lillard. We criticize Dame for the ball movement and complain about his lack of sharing the ball, but it isn’t realistic to expect him to keep watching his teammate’s chuck up ill-fated shots. There’s truly nobody to blame here though. Neil Olshey put together a good team but it just happens to be another year of injuries in Portland.
When it comes down to it, there’s just nothing to work with here. This team may end up a playoff team or maybe not, but either way, the chances of winning or even competing in a playoff series are slim.
When you put it all into context, Damian Lillard just isn’t at fault for any of this. He has games where he doesn’t play well, but he always finds ways to contribute even when his shot isn’t falling. In the games he’s spectacular, there’s still a chance they lose because of the supporting cast.
Leave Damian Lillard alone. He’s loyal, and is willing to battle through the low points so be quiet and respect what he’s trying to do for Portland because most superstars would’ve requested a trade already.