Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard didn't practice on Friday due to a hamstring injury.

Center Hassan Whiteside and power forward Zach Collins joined Lillard on the Blazers' injury report.

We shouldn't overact to this. Lillard is one of the most durable players in the NBA. The Blazers could be just playing it safe with their franchise player.

Lillard missed just two games last season. The All-Star averaged 25.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from beyond the arc and 91.2 percent from the free-throw line.

The Blazers gave Lillard a lucrative $196 million extension this summer. The last thing the organization wants to see is Lillard getting severely hurt before the regular season starts.

Hamstring injuries are always really tricky to handle since they can flare up at any moment. It's better for the Blazers to air on the side of caution with Dame.

Portland's first preseason game is on Tuesday, October 8 against the Denver Nuggets at home. Head coach Terry Stotts will update Lillard's status accordingly.

In the meantime, Blazers youngster Anfernee Simons can use this opportunity to showcase his skills with the starting unit. There are some around the league who believe Simons is the best young guard in the NBA no one is talking about.