Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Shut down for remainder of season
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) has been shut down for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Lillard has missed three straight contests, and as previously suggested by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Trail Blazers will shut down the star point guard after falling five games back of the final play-in spot. Anfernee Simons (foot) and Jerami Grant (quadriceps) also remain sidelined and could be shut down too, so Shaedon Sharpe, Keon Johnson, Nassir Little and Cam Reddish (back) could be in store for major usage during the final weeks of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Ruled out Monday
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) won't play Monday against the Pelicans.
Lillard will miss the second half of Portland's current back-to-back set, marking his third straight absence due to right calf soreness. The team is leaning toward shutting the superstar point guard down, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, so it seems likely he'll be sidelined for Wednesday's matchup against the Kings as well, though his official status for that contest won't be known until after Monday's game.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Team leaning toward shutdown
Rotowire
The Trail Blazers are leaning toward shutting down Lillard (calf) for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. He will not play Sunday against the Thunder.
This was rumored to be a possibility just over a week ago, and now since Lillard is dealing with right calf soreness and the Blazers are 3.5 games out of the play-in race, it probably makes the most sense for both parties. While the shutdown hasn't been confirmed, it would be surprising for a report like this to come out and for Lillard to play in the team's remaining nine games. If the organization pulls the plug on Lillard, other starters like Anfernee Simons (foot), Jerami Grant (quadriceps) and Jusuf Nurkic (knee) are also at risk. That scenario, which seems quite possible, could lead to expanded roles for Shaedon Sharpe, Drew Eubanks, Kevin Knox and other assorted bench players for Portland.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Ruled out Friday
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Bulls, Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official sitereports.
Lillard went from probable to questionable Friday morning, so fantasy managers probably saw this downgrade coming. In addition to Lillard, the Blazers are going to be without key players such as Jusuf Nurkic (knee), Anfernee Simons (foot) and Jerami Grant (quad). Shaedon Sharpe and Cam Reddish should be busy in this game, while Ryan Arcidiacono could pick up extended run too.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Downgraded to questionable
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) has been downgraded to questionable for Friday's game against Chicago.
Lillard's status is murkier after the Trail Blazers updated their injury report Friday, but he'll still be in the mix to suit up against the Bulls. If he's sidelined, Ryan Arcidiacono and Shaedon Sharpe will likely see increased run.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Probable Friday
Rotowire
Lillard is probable for Friday's game against Chicago due to right calf tightness.
Lillard has posted three double-doubles over his last seven appearances, averaging 30.0 points, 9.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 36.6 minutes. Although he's dealing with a calf issue, he'll likely be able to suit up against the Bulls.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Logs 30-point double-double in win
Rotowire
Lillard recorded 30 points (8-19 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 12-14 FT), 12 assists and seven rebounds across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 127-115 victory over the Jazz.
Lillard bounced back from a poor shooting night against the Clippers three days earlier, and while he still endured some struggles from downtown, his efficient showing from the free-throw line was enough to get him back to the 30-point mark. As usual, Lillard helped pad his scoring total with solid contributions in assists and rebounds, but he came up empty in the defensive categories after tallying two blocks and two steals between his previous two contests.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Poor shooting night in loss
Rotowire
Lillard contributed 21 points (4-17 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 12-13 FT), nine assists, seven rebounds, one block and one steal across 39 minutes during Sunday's 117-102 loss to the Clippers.
Lillard struggled mightily from the field but salvaged his scoring production with a strong night at the charity stripe. He also dished out a team-high nine assists and recorded at least one block and one steal for a second consecutive contest. Since missing a game due to rest, Lillard has posted 33.3 points, 7.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks in 38.3 minutes with 41/38/86 shooting splits over his past three appearances.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Goes off for 25 points in fourth
Rotowire
Lillard amassed 41 points (12-23 FG, 6-15 3Pt, 11-14 FT), four rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 37 minutes during Friday's 126-112 loss to the Celtics.
Lillard continued to show out on Friday, despite dealing with a calf injury that could eventually lead to him being shut down for the season. After putting up a modest 16 points through the first three quarters, the point guard exploded for 25 points in the final period on 6-of-7 shooting from the field to finish with a game-high 41 points on the night. He hit a game-high six three-pointers in the contest and is now 14-of-32 from beyond the arc over his last two games. Lillard has also scored at least 30 points in six of eight games this month.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Cleared to play against Boston
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) has been cleared to play against Boston on Friday.
Jerami Grant (quad) and Nassir Little (illness) will sit out for the Blazers. Lillard is reportedly at risk of being shut down soon if the Blazers don't turn their season around, so his fantasy managers will be hoping for an upset win Friday evening.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: At risk of being shut down soon
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) could be shut down for the season if the Trail Blazers don't make up ground in the standings over the next five or six games, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report stated on his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein.
Lillard -- probable for Friday's game against the Celtics -- is amid a fantastic individual season, but the Trail Blazers are 31-38 and 2.5 games back of the play-in tournament. If it becomes clear over the next handful of games that the season is lost, Portland may pull the plug and ask Lillard to sit out the final week or so of the season. Fantasy managers rostering Lillard should prepare for that possibility. Reserve options like Shaedon Sharpe, Cam Reddish and Ryan Arcidiacono could become viable fantasy options at the end of the campaign.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Likely to play Friday
Rotowire
Lillard is probable for Friday's game against the Celtics due to right calf tightness.
Lillard has battled a calf issue over the past week that forced him to miss a game before returning Tuesday and logging 38 points in 39 minutes. The point guard is scoring a career-high 32.3 points at a 46.5 percent clip from the field and will likely have a chance to add to those totals Friday.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Puts up 38 points in return
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) put up 38 points (11-26 FG, 8-17 3Pt, 8-9 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes in Tuesday's 123-107 loss to the Knicks.
Lillard returned to the court after missing the Trail Blazers' 127-110 loss to the Pelicans on Sunday, and while he filled up the stat sheet nicely, he continued his trend of poor shooting performances. The point guard was always bound to regress on some level after converting at an elevated 49.6 percent rate from the field between January and February, so his 43.1 percent mark through seven games in March shouldn't concern fantasy managers too much.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Good to go Tuesday
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) has been cleared to play Tuesday against the Knicks.
Lillard is back from a one-game absence and will have more on his plate offensively, as Jerami Grant is sitting out with a quad issue. This will be the first of three games on the schedule for Portland this week.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Iffy for Tuesday
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) is questionable for Tuesday's game against New York.
Lillard was held out of Sunday's loss in New Orleans due to the inflamed right calf, and his status remains up in the air for Tuesday's clash. He'll likely be re-evaluated after the Trail Blazers' morning shootaround Tuesday before the team makes a call on his status ahead of the 10 p.m. ET tipoff. If Lillard can't play versus the Knicks, Anfernee Simons would likely shift over from shooting guard once again to run point.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Out Sunday
Rotowire
Lillard (calf) has been ruled out for Sunday's game in New Orleans, Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian reports.
Lillard was initially listed as probable, so this is an unfortunate turn of events for managers in the fantasy playoffs. Chauncey Billups said that they are just being cautious with Lillard, so perhaps he'll be able to get back out there for Tuesday's game against the Knicks. With him watching from the sidelines Sunday, Cam Reddish might be returning to the first unit and it'll be Anfernee Simons running the show on offense.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Grabs probable label for Sunday
Rotowire
Lillard is listed as probable for Sunday's game versus the Pelicans despite some right calf tightness.
Lillard logged 39 minutes in Friday's game against the Sixers and posted a double-double, but it appears he may not have escaped the contest completely unscathed on the health front. Despite some right calf tightness, the team seems optimistic the star point guard will be in uniform Sunday in New Orleans.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Leads team in scoring again
Rotowire
Lillard produced 27 points (7-16 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 11-11 FT), eight assists, five rebounds and one steal across 30 minutes during Wednesday's 115-93 loss to the Celtics.
The 27-point effort was actually five below his season average, but Lillard continues to carry fantasy squads through his production at the free-throw line. The superstar guard is averaging 9.4 free-throw attempts per game (a career-high) and knocking them down at a 91.8 percent clip, making him the second-best influencer in that category after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (10.7 attempts per game, 90.6 percent).
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Triple-double in Detroit
Rotowire
Lillard chipped in 31 points (10-28 FG, 6-14 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 13 rebounds, 12 assists, one block and one steal in 38 minutes during Monday's 110-104 win over the Pistons.
It's the second triple-double of the season for Lillard, with the other coming Feb. 8, and just the third of his career. The All-Star guard has scored at least 25 points in 18 straight games, averaging a blistering 38.9 points, 6.9 assists, 5.8 boards, 5.0 threes and 1.0 steals over that stretch while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor, 41.1 percent from beyond the arc and 94.1 percent from the free-throw line. Lillard had a tough start to the season, and the Blazers are just struggling to stay in the play-in tournament picture right now, but the 32-year-old has been playing at an MVP level for the last six weeks.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Drops 41 in win
Rotowire
Lillard closed Sunday's 122-119 win over the Magic with 41 points (10-25 FG, 4-16 3Pt, 17-20 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals over 37 minutes.
Lillard recorded another huge scoring line Sunday night, marking the second time in three games he's gone for 41 points. He missed multiple free throws for the first time in well over a month but still shot 85 percent on a remarkable 20 attempts. The 32-year-old has also recorded eight steals over his last four contests. He continues to put up tremendous fantasy numbers, making him a valuable playoff piece for both points and category leagues.
