NBA Injury Report: Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard diagnosed with a calf strain, will sit out until further evaluation
Damian Lillard was off to a fantastic start to the 2022-2023 NBA season. After playing in just 29 games last season due to injury, Lillard looked like his old dominant self in his return from injury.
The Portland Trail Blazers star was averaging 31.0 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 5.3 assists per game through Portland's first four games. Additionally, he was shooting 50.0% from the field, 40.0% from three-point range, and 91.7% from the free-throw line.
Players with 100+ points on 50/40/90% shooting to start this season:
1. Damian Lillard
End of list.
#MuseTakeover @BlazersMuse https://t.co/QfwqoX9099
Unfortunately, for Lillard and the Trail Blazers, the star point guard is, once again, sidelined, suffering a Grade 1 calf strain in the fifth game of the season. Lillard left Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat early. Portland later announced that their star player will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks.
Damian Lillard has a Grade 1 strain of his right calf and will be reevaluated in 1-2 weeks, the Trail Blazers announced Thursday. es.pn/3gOmG7F
While the Portland Trail Blazers won their first four games, they were trailing by nine when Damian Lillard left the game with 5:10 left in the third quarter. They went on to lose the game by 21 points, making it their first loss of the season.
Lillard's injury now leaves the Trail Blazers short-handed without their leader and most talented player. The injury has the potential to derail Portland's season if Lillard is forced to miss an extended period of time.
Can the Portland Trail Blazers withstand Damian Lillard's injury?
While the Portland Trail Blazers finally appeared to put depth around Damian Lillard, the roster is not built to withstand any long-term injuries to their star. With Lillard set to be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks, the organization and fanbase must patiently await for an update.
The Trail Blazers have seven games over the next two weeks, and, of those seven, five are against teams that made the postseason in 2021-2022. It is not difficult to imagine Portland dropping all seven games and falling to 4-8 after a strong 4-0 start to the season.
While falling in a 4-8 hole early is tough, it is not inconceivable that the Blazers could climb out of that hole if Lillard returns. If he is forced to miss an extended period of time, the Blazers could find themselves in too deep of a hole to enter the postseason picture.
Getting Lillard back, particularly at full strength, is vital to Portland's postseason chances as he is the driving force behind their success. It remains to be seen how long he will be forced to miss, but it is an important situation to monitor early in the season.