Chris Haynes of Yahoo! reports Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will undergo abdomen surgery and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Yahoo Sources: Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard to undergo surgery tomorrow for an abdomen issue and will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks. https://t.co/uuEy0V3TWQ
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 12, 2022
An integral part of the Trail Blazers’ rotation, Lillard last played in a 106-139 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 31, playing 32 minutes, scoring 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Starting in 29 games this year, Lillard is averaging 26 minutes, 24 points, four rebounds and seven assists and leads the team with a 29% usage rate.
With Lillard sidelined for the near future, expect Anfernee Simons to see minutes as a starter. Simons has started eight games this year, averaging 32.4 minutes, 21 points, three rebounds and six assists per game. Simons has a 26.5% usage rate when Lillard is off the court, averaging 0.92 fantasy points per minute.
The Trail Blazers head to Denver to square off against the Nuggets tomorrow and are currently +16000 to win the NBA Championship on FanDuel Sportsbook.
