After missing Friday's practice due to a hamstring injury, Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard was back on the floor with his teammates on Saturday.
Hassan Whiteside and Pau Gasol remained out for the Blazers.
Damian Lillard (hamstring) practiced today, while Hassan Whiteside (ankle) and Pau Gasol (foot) did not. Neither Whiteside nor Gasol will play in Fan Fest on Sunday.
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) October 5, 2019
Damian Lillard is one of the most durable players in the NBA. The Blazers were clearly playing it safe with their franchise player on Friday.
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, so they opted to rest him and avoid what could be a costly injury.
Portland’s first preseason game is on Tuesday, October 8 against the Denver Nuggets at home. Lillard should be able to play sparingly in that game assuming his hamstring ailment does not flare up again.
The Blazers, who made it to the Western Conference Finals in the 2018-19 season, will once again count on Lillard and CJ McCollum to lead them to the promised land this 2019-20 campaign.
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