Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is prepared "to play the whole game if I have to" with C.J. McCollum suspended for the season opener.
Lillard told reporters that the Blazers will do "whatever we need to do to win the game" versus the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. With McCollum sitting out, Lillard will take on extra minutes and a higher usage rate. Lillard posted a career-high 31.5% usage rate in 2016-17.
Our models project Lillard for 26.7 points, 2.9 three-pointers, 4.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 36.6 minutes per game in the 2017-18 season.
Source: Jay Allen, RipCityRadio