In a recent interview, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard admitted that he is still “hurt” by the trade of his former teammate CJ McCollum to the Memphis Grizzlies. The two have appeared together in commercials for Backyard Sports and this isn’t the first time they’ve been heated rivals on-court.
Damian Lillard Devastatingly Admits He’s Still ‘Hurt’ by CJ McCollum Trade. The Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard, Damian Lillard, has been having a rough time since the team traded his backcourt partner, CJ McCollum. Read more in detail here: damian lillard injury.
When the Portland Trail Blazers elected to trade guard CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans this season, they willingly terminated an era. McCollum and six-time All-Star Damian Lillard had been one of the most productive backcourt duos in the previous decade, but the transaction will enable Portland to construct their squad around the latter.
So, what’s Lillard’s take on the deal? He and McCollum were teammates for over a decade, and together they helped the Trail Blazers become a perennial Western Conference juggernaut.
Dame has lately acknowledged that he is still in pain.
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On the Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum had a lot of success.
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The Trail Blazers picked CJ McCollum with the 10th overall selection in 2013 after selecting Damian Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Every year they were together, the two led Portland to the playoffs.
McCollum struggled in his first two seasons, scoring less than 7.0 points per game. However, he improved from 6.8 points per game in 2014-15 to 20.8 points per game in 2015-16. Since then, he hasn’t scored less than 20.0 points a game, and he and Lillard have become one of the league’s most powerful scoring duos. Dame averaged a career-high 30.0 points per game in 2019-20, while McCollum averaged 22.2 points per game.
Despite their offensive brilliance, Lillard and McCollum were unable to lead the Blazers over the finish line. They only advanced beyond the first round three times in their eight straight playoff appearances from 2013-14 to 2020-21, and they only reached the Western Conference Finals once in 2019.
Portland must have concluded the tandem had peaked and wouldn’t be able to win a championship together, since McCollum was dealt to the Pelicans before the NBA Trade Deadline. The team is now reorganizing its squad around Lillard, who is currently sidelined and wants to return to full strength next season.
The move has still ‘hurt’ Damian Lillard.
On December 29, 2021, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers plays against the Utah Jazz. | Getty Images/Soobum Im
Shannon Sharpe and Damian Lillard recently appeared on Club Shay Shay. And he confessed it’s tough to watch CJ McCollum on another team.
“It hurt me when the trade occurred,” Lillard remarked on the March 28 edition. “It was a painful experience for me.” ‘I’m watching these games; I can’t believe you play for the Pelicans,’ I tell CJ all the time, even while we’re still talking. It’s insane. ‘Yeah, dude, it’s been nice, but it’s odd,’ he says. ‘It’s not the same for me.’
After then, Lillard emphasized that he and McCollum were more than just teammates. They were closer as a result of sharing a backcourt than they would have been if they were on the same team.
“It’s difficult to cope with, and I believe the fact that I haven’t had to play without him has made it a smoother transition than it would have been if I were really playing; it would be very strange for me,” he remarked. “That one still hurts me to this day, dude.”
What is Dame’s plan for the Blazers?
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Damian Lillard may still be heartbroken by the loss of his friend, but the Blazers have an opportunity to make some significant changes this summer that might help him reach the summit. They were able to clear cap space by trading McCollum and Norman Powell, and they will also have numerous draft selections to either choose future stars or trade for established veterans next season.
So, what exactly does Dame want his squad to accomplish?
“If I’m the general manager, I’m going to look at what Phoenix did,” Lillard said, referring to a hypothetical situation in which he is the GM. “No one expected Phoenix to appear….” They truly went from the bottom to the top. It’s not simple, but look at what they accomplished with Devin Booker. They had a fantastic player on their team, a star. When you look at the guys they’re putting out there, everything simply fits. I believe we are in a position to do so. I’ve arrived. I’m already here. We have a high-quality facility. [Anfernee Simons] is already here.”
Lillard went on to talk about the draft picks and cash available to Portland this offseason.
“We have a lot of tools and a lot of freedom,” she says. Before he and Sharpe looked at how the Milwaukee Bucks constructed their squad around Giannis Antetokounmpo, he said, “It’s just a question of us utilizing what we have to fill in those parts in the manner that the Suns did.” “… We can go out and find some really talented players who can compliment what we have and help us reach to that level.”
For the sake of Lillard’s legacy, let’s hope his club can grow around him in the same manner that the Suns did with Devin Booker and the Bucks did with Giannis. They do, however, have a lot of work ahead of them.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: The Blazers’ retool might be derailed as quickly as it began if they settle with Jerami Grant.
The “Portland Trail Blazers trade” was a big move that shocked the NBA world. Damian Lillard has admitted he’s still hurt by the trade and CJ McCollum is feeling the same way. Reference: portland trail blazers trade.
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