The Portland Trailblazers have become the team that no one wants to play for, at least for the ones that played there last season apparently, as they have lost 80 percent of last year's starting lineup already this summer. In the matter of a few months the Trailblazers have gone from a major contender in the West to being a team, according to Isportsweb, "that everyone expects to only win 30 or 40 games," which would be a significant drop off from the 51 they won last year.
The first one to see the door this summer from the Trailblazers was popular French national Nicolas Batum, who was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. Batum was a key depth player for the Blazers who averaged 9.4 points per game, 4.8 assists and 5.9 rebounds. The next player to depart Portland was free agent Robin Lopez, who signed with the New York Knicks. Lopez, one of the league's top defensive centers in the game, averaged 9.59 points per game as well as 6.68 rebounds and 1.42 blocked shots. Fan favorite Wesley Matthews, also a free agent, signed with the Dallas Mavericks. Matthews averaged 15.9 points and was a 38 percent three-point shooter.
Possibly the most important of all was the loss of franchise star and the face of the team, LaMarcus Aldridge. The departure of LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland to the San Antonio Spurs has been the talk of the town and the NBA. Not only does it hurt Portland, it boosts San Antonio to top contender status. Aldridge played his first nine seasons in Portland and was the team's all-time leading rebounder and No. 2 in points behind legend Clyde Drexler. This high profile departure has been somewhat contentious fallout, has even cost assistant coach Kim Hughes his job. Hughes was fired for prematurely spilling the beans to the out of town press that Aldridge would not return.
The one bright spot for Portland in this rather dire off-season has been the contract extension of their budding star Damian Lillard. According to Bleacher Report, Lillard signed a maximum contract for between $125 to $129 million, keeping him in a Trailblazers' uniform for at least the next five years. Lilliard is now the face of the franchise. He sees the suddenly rebuilding Portland as a challenge he is ready to undertake. To Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports he had this to say: "I've been reading. Everything I worked for or received, nothing has been handed to me," Lillard said. "I could take comfort in knowing that everything that happened isn't by luck. It's me working hard and me going after things, making it happen. Being doubted is not unfamiliar territory to me."
One thing is for certain — in Portland, when the season tips off, Damian Lillard will be ready.
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