Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is all about loyalty, and he maintains the same principle when it comes to head coach Terry Stotts.
While the Blazers might be on the better end of the Western Conference, mediocrity isn’t enough for them as they’re only the sixth seed. Because of this, team owner Paul Allen wants to pinpoint the team’s issue before it gets worse.
The Blazers boast an arsenal of high-caliber players that cost millions of dollars in deals. But even this expensive roster isn’t enough to pull the Blazers to greater heights. As such, Stotts has taken in a degree of heat — as all coaches do — but Lillard thinks otherwise.
According to Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest, the two-time All-Star says the players think that Coach Stotts isn’t to blame for the team’s performance.
“And I think it’s unanimous for a reason,’’ Lillard said. “Like I always say: we play for a great person, and whatever struggles that we have, it’s not his fault. I will tell you that: it’s not his fault.’’
Over the past few seasons, the Blazers had some brief postseason runs, only to be eliminated by a better Western Conference opponent. With this, it’s pretty clear that Allen needs to do something. And that’s just what he’s doing, even if that means putting his head coach at the hot seat.
However, some are pinning the blame on decisions made by general manager Neil Olshey. They felt that his lapses in landing the right marquee free agents had become obvious. Overpaying Evan Turner, Allen Crabbe, and Meyers Leonard are some of these questionable items.
If Allen wants to fix things up, then Olshey is a better fit for the hot seat; not Stotts.
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