While the Portland Trail Blazers are the lower seed in the series, winning the series is vital for the future of the team.
Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers are a very intriguing squad. While Lillard is one of the top 10 players in the NBA and his team has been consistently good, the Blazers are in an interesting position. The team has made the playoffs eight times in a row under Terry Stotts and has only reached the Western Conference Finals once in that span.
Despite the pairing of Lillard and McCollum being consistent and one of the best backcourts in the NBA, the Blazers have struggled to get over the hump and make some real noise in the postseason. There have been rumors about Terry Stotts potentially being replaced, with former Nets and Bucks coach Jason Kidd rumored for the position.
While the Blazers have tried to mix it up over the last couple of years, bringing in players such as Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter, and Robert Covington, there are many who have questioned the team’s backcourt pairing, with the Knicks being reportedly being linked to McCollum at the trade deadline.
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The Portland Trail Blazers have some big upcoming decisions
All the rumors circulating the team and lack of noise in the postseason will leave the Blazers with a lot of big decisions if the playoffs do not yield any results this year. While they may not be a championship threat, the Blazers are currently tied 2-2 in a tight series with the Denver Nuggets, who are missing both Jamal Murray and Will Barton.
A series win against the injury-depleted Nuggets and likely MVP winner Nikola Jokic would go a long way to silence some critics, however, there will still be many who will think Lillard is wasting his prime.
At age 30, Lillard is in the middle of his prime and averaging an impressive 28.8 points and 7.5 assists per game and is known as one of the most clutch shooters in the NBA. However, in his NBA career with the Trail Blazers, his playoff record is 22-37, which is not great.
While the superstar is intent on spending his career with Portland, the team will need to build a unit that is able to go the distance and contend for an NBA Championship.
The series with the Nuggets will be a defining point for this Blazers team. If they manage to win the series, anything could be possible. However, a first-round loss to this Nuggets team should result in the front office making some tough decisions over the offseason.