Portland Trail Blazers: 5 players who need a big final stretch after hiatus

Damian Lillard

Lillard is the heartbeat of the Portland Trail Blazers. While McCollum is good, he does not have the same impact on the game as the letter O. Lillard is having his best season in scoring with 28.9 points per game. He is also having his best season for assists averaging 7.8 per game.

However, this is also the most efficient season of Lillard’s career.  He is taking the most shots per game of his career with 20.0 per game, also making the most at 45.7 percent from the field.  Considering the talent the Trail Blazers are missing, this is incredible.

His shooting from 3-point land is also at the best of his career. His 39.4 percent from deep is equal best with the second year of his career. However, he is now taking 9.9 attempts per game as opposed to 6.8 per game back in the 2013-14 season.

Lillard went on a run before he was injured where he had six games where he scored 36 points or more. This included two games over 40 points, two over 50 points and a 60 point masterpiece. He averaged 48.5 points per game during this amazing stretch.

In those six games, the Portland Trail Blazers had a 5-1 record. In the 12 games where Lillard has scored 35 points, the Trail Blazers are 8-4. This shows just how crucial Lillard is to the team from Oregon.

If he can produce another run over the last 16 games then the Trail Blazers are going to be hard to stop. If he can keep it going through the playoffs, then they are going to be one of the toughest eighth seeds ever.