The Trail Blazers have amassed an up-and-down 4-5 record with CJ McCollum out of the lineup. With McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic out with injuries, Damian Lillard is tasked with keeping Portland’s overall record afloat. But Lillard cannot play every minute of every game. That reality caught ESPN analyst Zach Lowe’s attention in his weekly column.
In a segment titled “buckle up when Dame rests”, Lowe examined what occurs when Lillard heads to the bench. Lowe pointed to the drastically different scoring numbers that unfold with Lillard on and off the floor.
Portland in this stretch has scored almost 120 points per 100 possessions with Lillard on the floor — well above the Milwaukee Bucks’ league-best offense.