Excellent Lillard Article

[B-Roy]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26529768/damian-lillard-moment-coming-just-matter

Some tidbits:

There are leaders in a locker room and there are caretakers of an organization. Lillard is naturally both. He calls a car service to help a new teammate like Kanter get home. He watches G League games -- full games -- to give feedback to Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons. Lillard and McCollum fly commercial to go to Las Vegas Summer League to watch the Blazers' young players. He has taken the 15th man on the roster on a shopping spree to get outfitted to sit on an NBA bench. He has invested in building the team, texting Olshey about prospects while he watched the NCAA tournament, wondering if one is a first-round talent.

"It's the people I work with every day, my teammates, the coaching staff, our training staff," he said. "I value that and the impact it has on me and the impact I have on it. I think you've got to take those things into consideration. We're all working together to try and win a championship; that's our main thing we want to accomplish.

"But if it doesn't happen, you still have to have a certain level of appreciation and love of the other things."

The pressure Lillard feels is less about personal achievement and more about what outcomes mean for those who count on him in the organization. What did a sweep mean for Stotts? For his staff? For the trainers and their families? For teammates that he loves, such as Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless? Other places would've fired the coach or made a trade after the embarrassment of last postseason. The Blazers just did what they've always done: They leaned on Lillard.

"There wasn't any finger pointing," Stotts said. "A lot of teams could've gone either way in those situations, and I think because of his character, it helped hold it together."

Lillard is 28 and has probably close to another decade of All-Star-level play in him. In the present Ringz culture, where titles trump every reasonable debate, to some it feels hollow to believe in the beauty of sustained success and consistent opportunity. One championship, at whatever cost, is more important than any journey to get there. Lillard doesn't subscribe to that.

"A lot of people kind of ... conform," he said, thinking over the word choice. "I don't want it to sound like I'm saying don't care about championships. That's not my point. But what I'm saying is a lot of people give in to the pressure of, 'I didn't have this, I didn't have rings.'"

"I know if a bunch of people come around, they'll see. I'm not for show," Lillard said. "I'm not in competition with nobody. I'm trying to be the best version of myself and get the job done. ... It would take people to be a part of it to see it. That's just the part that is unfortunate.

"Because you don't get official visits in the NBA."

Whatever the future holds for the Blazers, though, if it's another first-round out or a deep, validating playoff run, the perspective isn't changing.

"I just stay the course," Lillard said. "We got swept; it was bad. Sometimes, it's your turn."

Ring or no ring, we're blessed to have him.

 

[Wade Garrett]

You know who I wouldn't mind being?...
His girlfriends father. Imagine your daughter bringing this guy home.
My daughter brought home Scotty P. from the "We're The Millers" movie.
"Know what I'm sayin'?"

 

[Wizard Mentor]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26529768/damian-lillard-moment-coming-just-matter

Some tidbits:








Ring or no ring, we're blessed to have him.

Here's another important one:

With Nurkic on the floor, the Blazers were plus-10.4 points per 100 possessions better than their opponents. When he's on the floor, the Blazers have the best offense in the NBA (116.0 points per 100 possessions). When he's off, the Blazers are minus-2.4 points per 100 possessions -- an offense on par with the 19-win Cleveland Cavaliers.

 

[e_blazer]

Just finished that article. That's a really great read that gives a good account of just whom Damian Lillard is as both a player and a leader. Nice!

 

[Strenuus]

You know who I wouldn't mind being?...
His girlfriends father. Imagine your daughter bringing this guy home.
My daughter brought home Scotty P. from the "We're The Millers" movie.
"Know what I'm sayin'?"

Next she'll bring home Chili P from Breaking Bad.