Shams: Blazers' Damian Lillard Could Be Shut Down for Rest of Season amid Calf Injury
The Portland Trail Blazers are leaning toward shutting down star point guard Damian Lillard for the remainder of the regular season, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.
"The franchise is seriously considering taking precautions as Lillard deals with calf injury and the team is 3.5 games out of Play-In Tournament race," Charania wrote.
The 32-year-old missed seven games earlier this season after suffering a calf injury during a loss to the Utah Jazz on Nov. 19. He also missed time with a calf strain in October.
Lillard has put together another fantastic season, averaging a career-best 32.2 points, as well as 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 58 games while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.
The Trail Blazers are 13th in the Western Conference with a 32-41 record. They've received better-than-expected performances from Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkiฤ this season, but they've experienced a pretty dramatic drop-off of late due to injuries.
Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has been solid while filling in for Lillard this year. He's averaging 8.3 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from deep in 72 games, mostly off the bench.
With Portland on the outskirts of playoff contention, it's no surprise Lillard is heading toward an early offseason.
