According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has decided to no longer participate in the NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest. The reason being is that so his body can further recover from what has been a grueling season so far.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard tells @YahooSports he has withdrawn from participating in the 3-Point Contest in Atlanta on Sunday for rest purposes.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 2, 2021
Lillard has participated in the contest twice during the 2013-2014 and 2018-2019 seasons. The only Dame Time we will see during this year's All-Star Weekend will be in the game. There was much debate whether or not Dallas Mavericks wonderboy Luka Dončić deserved the All-Star starter nod over Lillard.
Damian Lillard is one of the league's best shooters from deep and has a reputation for making clutch shots. He is able to combine high volume with good accuracy. Just last season, his three-point percentage was at 40.1%, but that number has dipped this year.
With guard C.J. McCollum and center Jusuf Nurkić both missing a significant amount of time due to injuries, Lillard has had to do more heavy lifting for Portland. His averages of 29.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 32 games, have drawn talk of winning MVP, although he is well behind other stars in the pecking order.
The Trail Blazers have lost four of their last five games, so the All-Star break could not have come at a much better time. Despite injuries to their starters, the Blazers have a 19-14 record, which places them in the fifth spot in a crowded Western Conference. Players like big man Enes Kanter and their collection of wings have stepped up and increased their production, but they will need a healthy team to maintain their position and have a deep, playoff run.
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