Damian Lillard Doesn't Want NBA to Push 2020-21 Season Start Date Back

The NBA is in uncharted territory as play has been suspended since March 12 because of the COVID-19 crisis.

However, Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard is not in favor of scheduling changes also impacting next season:

However, if and when the NBA's 2019-20 season resumes, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James wouldn't want to face Lillard's Blazers in the playoffs:

According to the New York Post's Marc Berman on Monday, the NBA is "very determined to have a champion" for the 2019-20 season. 

Berman added: 

"Though news of the coronavirus pandemic has been discouraging, NBA executives still cling to hope of arranging a one-site, fan-less, 16-team playoff and a five-to-seven-game regular-season prelude, according to multiple NBA sources.

"The playoffs could be reduced to a slew of best-of-three series across the board. A single-elimination format has been all but ruled out—only under consideration as a last resort."

The Blazers were 29-37 and 3.5 games behind the 32-33 Memphis Grizzlies for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff seed when games were halted.

Lillard was averaging a career-high 28.9 points—the league's fifth-leading scorer—and 7.8 assists.