The Trail Blazers returned to action on Thursday night following time off for the All-Star break, but they were without two of their best players. Point guard Damian Lillard and power forward Jerami Grant were both held out of the game for rest vs. Sacramento as the team was late in flying into the city before the game.
Portland’s decision to rest those two led to some speculation that the team could be trying to tank for a better shot to draft potential No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. However, Lillard needed just two words to express his feelings on that theory.
“No way,” he wrote.
Lillard is now in his eleventh season with the Trail Blazers, and has made it as far as the Western Conference finals with the team. However, Portland missed the playoffs last year, the first with coach Chauncey Billups, and is on pace to miss the postseason again.
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After a loss to the Kings, the Trail Blazers currently sit at 28–31, one game behind the Warriors for the final spot in the NBA’s play-in tournament. However, they also have the ninth best odds to earn the No. 1 pick in the draft, and are just two games ahead of the Bulls for the seventh worst record in the NBA.
Based on the standings, the Rockets, Spurs and Pistons currently have the best odds to earn the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery.
