Kerry Eggers Lillard Interview

[BlazerBeav]

I am convinced you could not ask for a better leader for a franchise. Kid is gold.

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/254-s...177808-damian-lillard-the-face-of-the-blazers

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Tribune: We’re near the end of the regular season and you’re in the top 10 in the NBA in minutes played at about 36 a game. How’s your health at this point?

Lillard: I feel good. Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve always felt a little tired at the end of the season. If I’m not tired at this point, then I’ve not giving the team my all. With the responsibility — 25 points a game, seven assists, four rebounds, guarding the other team’s point guard — I’m not taking the night off. I’ve taken that responsibility of giving 110 percent to the team. When you do that, you get tired. But I feel fine.

I do enough things to allow myself to play every game. I go home and go to sleep after games. There are days I take naps. I come to the training facility and get into the cold tub and the steam room. I do massages. I take care of myself. I don’t do all those things that would hang my team out to dry. I do the necessary things so I can be out there every night. That’s what my coaches and teammates depend on me to do.

 

[illmatic99]

Ahem, James Harden.

I do enough things to allow myself to play every game. I go home and go to sleep after games. There are days I take naps. I come to the training facility and get into the cold tub and the steam room. I do massages. I take care of myself. I don’t do all those things that would hang my team out to dry. I do the necessary things so I can be out there every night. That’s what my coaches and teammates depend on me to do.

 

[B-Roy]

This quote:

As a sophomore, I transferred to St. Joe’s (St. Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda). I made the varsity, but didn’t play. The coach wasn’t a fan of the way I played. He told me I passed the ball too soft, wasn’t fast enough, didn’t shoot fast enough. At the end of the year, we had a meeting. He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I said I want to make it to the NBA. He put some numbers down — this many go to college, this many get a Division I scholarship, this many make it to the NBA. All small numbers. OK.

I bet this coach feels like a jackass now.

Very cool article, goes into detail about a lot of the slights he felt growing up. We always knew he felt overlooked as a player, we didn't know a lot of specifics till now.

 

[illmatic99]

DeMarcus Cousins is the best center in the league. People get on him about his attitude and a lot of the things he does. Sometimes he’s wrong, but I know him personally. He’s just passionate. It gets the best of him sometimes, but I know he’s a good dude.

Ahem, Neil.

 

[illmatic99]

Fantastic interview. Wish it were in podcast form.

 

[blue9]

I felt similarly about Roy during his first season or two, but it didn't take long to see that he was just "talking the talk" without "walking the walk". Sometimes I fear that we're being fooled again by another media-savvy player. But every time I read an interview with him it erases those fears. He's genuine. He's the real deal.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

great article, thanks for posting.

and now, for you conspiracy theorists.....

Tribune: Who are the players around the league around your age and younger that you admire most?

Lillard: I really like Kawhi Leonard. I like Kyrie Irving. I think Karl-Anthony Towns is the best rookie by far. He could be an All-Star next year. DeMarcus Cousins is the best center in the league. People get on him about his attitude and a lot of the things he does. Sometimes he’s wrong, but I know him personally. He’s just passionate. It gets the best of him sometimes, but I know he’s a good dude.

 

[Tunchi]

I felt similarly about Roy during his first season or two, but it didn't take long to see that he was just "talking the talk" without "walking the walk". Sometimes I fear that we're being fooled again by another media-savvy player. But every time I read an interview with him it erases those fears. He's genuine. He's the real deal.

I think we would have seen it by now with Lillard. Lillard is a fantastic leader and great ambassador for our franchise. Thats one thing I will never question about Lillard

 

[Draco]

Lillard: I feel good. Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve always felt a little tired at the end of the season. If I’m not tired at this point, then I’ve not giving the team my all.

He wears fatigue as though its a badge of honor.

Wish he viewed being in a position to perform his best in the playoff as giving it his all.

 

[illmatic99]

He wears fatigue as though its a badge of honor. Wish he cared more about being in a position to perform his best in the playoff.

He's a bit maniacal about it. Kinda like Wesley. I like that, even if it's kinda misguided.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

You know, it really would be a pretty amazing experiment. Have a completely healthy superstar like Dame spend 10 days doing nothing but preparing to perform in the postseason. Don't play either of the final two games, just spend time in a hyperbaric chamber, in a hot tub, getting therapeutic massages, doing short workouts, yoga--anything the training staff can come up with to refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize, and see if it actually pays dividends in the playoffs.

Never happen, but I'd love to see some team try something like that.

 

[Draco]

He's a bit maniacal about it. Kinda like Wesley. I like that, even if it's kinda misguided.

Yeah I don't really blame him for it; Stotts needs to be the one forcing him to go easy or reduce his minutes here and there. Dame hasn't been .500 from the field in 13 consecutive games. He's also getting torched on defense. It's amazing our team is playing as well as it is.

 

[Draco]

You know, it really would be a pretty amazing experiment. Have a completely healthy superstar like Dame spend 10 days doing nothing but preparing to perform in the postseason. Don't play either of the final two games, just spend time in a hyperbaric chamber, in a hot tub, getting therapeutic massages, doing short workouts, yoga--anything the training staff can come up with to refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize, and see if it actually pays dividends in the playoffs.

Never happen, but I'd love to see some team try something like that.

So sort of what he did on the 9 off days at the all-star break? We saw what happened the next 11 games; the most dominant Blazer stretch since Drexler.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

He wears fatigue as though its a badge of honor.

Wish he viewed being in a position to perform his best in the playoff as giving it his all.

And yet we slagged on LaMarcus for complaining about how tired he was all the time. Let's all coordinate which hand we'll clutch our pearls with.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

So sort of what he did on the 9 off days at the all-star break? We saw what happened the next 11 games; the most dominant Blazer stretch since Petrie.

FTFY

 

[PtldPlatypus]

So sort of what he did on the 9 off days at the all-star break? We saw what happened the next 11 games; the most dominant Blazer stretch since Drexler.

Yeah, maybe so. Someone wanna go track down Dame's mom and get her to convince him to cooperate?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

You know, it really would be a pretty amazing experiment. Have a completely healthy superstar like Dame spend 10 days doing nothing but preparing to perform in the postseason. Don't play either of the final two games, just spend time in a hyperbaric chamber, in a hot tub, getting therapeutic massages, doing short workouts, yoga--anything the training staff can come up with to refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize, and see if it actually pays dividends in the playoffs.

Never happen, but I'd love to see some team try something like that.

I bet we could get Dame to play 24 minutes or less in the two remaining games... subtract ASG festivities, and it comes out even.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

You know, it really would be a pretty amazing experiment. Have a completely healthy superstar like Dame spend 10 days doing nothing but preparing to perform in the postseason. Don't play either of the final two games, just spend time in a hyperbaric chamber, in a hot tub, getting therapeutic massages, doing short workouts, yoga--anything the training staff can come up with to refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize, and see if it actually pays dividends in the playoffs.

Never happen, but I'd love to see some team try something like that.

Interesting.
That being said, we don't play for 2 more days (April 9th @home), then finish the season 4 days later (April 13th @home), and the playoffs don't start for 3 days after that (April 16th @road).

Rest is here, now. (we've played 80, some other teams have only played 77 or 78 - we're ahead of the game.)

Last 2 games of season are at home, so after next game he'll have 1 game in 7 days and he'll be sleeping at home each night - he should be rested enough.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

And yet we slagged on LaMarcus for complaining about how tired he was all the time. Let's all coordinate which hand we'll clutch our pearls with.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Interesting.
That being said, we don't play for 2 more days (April 9th @home), then finish the season 4 days later (April 13th @home), and the playoffs don't start for 3 days after that (April 16th @road).

Rest is here, now. (we've played 80, some other teams have only played 77 or 78 - we're ahead of the game.)

Last 2 games of season are at home, so after next game he'll have 1 game in 7 days and he'll be sleeping at home each night - he should be rested enough.

AND on top of that, there are no back-to-back playoff games, and very few one day apart (maybe even none now).

 

[Strenuus]

I felt similarly about Roy during his first season or two, but it didn't take long to see that he was just "talking the talk" without "walking the walk". Sometimes I fear that we're being fooled again by another media-savvy player. But every time I read an interview with him it erases those fears. He's genuine. He's the real deal.

YOU AND ME BOTH. I even said it on here.

"This has to be talk." "Damn, he's really good."

But he shut me up. He's so consistently genuine that at this point that there's no way he could be faking this for 4 years. When I hear his post game interviews it doesn't sound like canned answers... it just sounds like he's having a conversation. Watch the ones he does with Barrett... it just sounds like he's sitting on a deck somewhere with a lemonade and shootin' the shit.

Nothing about him seems fake.

 

[illmatic99]

You know, it really would be a pretty amazing experiment. Have a completely healthy superstar like Dame spend 10 days doing nothing but preparing to perform in the postseason. Don't play either of the final two games, just spend time in a hyperbaric chamber, in a hot tub, getting therapeutic massages, doing short workouts, yoga--anything the training staff can come up with to refresh, rejuvenate, and revitalize, and see if it actually pays dividends in the playoffs.

Never happen, but I'd love to see some team try something like that.

Check this out. Steph Curry does this sensory deprivation tank thing that sounds legit.

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-f...-steph-currys-basketball-superpowers-20151214

 

[Strenuus]

He wears fatigue as though its a badge of honor.

Wish he viewed being in a position to perform his best in the playoff as giving it his all.

I find it admirable. He'll be fine for the playoffs. 2 games in 10 days plus the time after that game. He knows what he's doing.

Do you honestly think he's not going to give it his all in the playoffs? That's ludicrous. He'll be fine.

 

[Strenuus]

Kerry Eggers is the best writer in Oregon for 2 reasons:

1) He knows how to stay with the subject, both literally and figuratively.

2) He's not Canzano.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I bet this coach feels like a jackass now.

Nah, sounds like the kinda guy who brags to everyone who will listen to him that he's the one who made Lillard a great basketball player.

 

[Draco]

I find it admirable. He'll be fine for the playoffs. 2 games in 10 days plus the time after that game. He knows what he's doing.

Do you honestly think he's not going to give it his all in the playoffs? That's ludicrous. He'll be fine.

I think he'll give it his all for sure, its not an effort question. It's a question of working smarter not harder. It's a question of having an athlete at his peak condition.

There's a reason cyclists train to peak for one race a year, and ramp up their training for that one time of the season. The human body can't go 100% all the time. If you try someone else will be able to rest and outperform you when it counts the most. I question how fatigue'd he'll be from the grueling marathon of a regular season. Playing 40 minutes in a back to back we have no chance of winning as we did in San Antonio. Those games add up.

Dame prides himself on playing every night. I'd rather he prides himself on being in tip top condition at the end of the year. If that means taking some games off? So be it.

 

[Strenuus]

I think he'll give it his all for sure, its not an effort question. It's a physical performance question.

There's a reason cyclists train to peak for one race a year, and ramp up their training for that one time of the season. The human body can't go 100% all the time. If you try someone else will be able to rest and outperform you when it counts the most. I question how fatigue'd he'll be from the grueling marathon of a regular season. Playing 40 minutes in a back to back we have no chance of winning as we did in San Antonio. Those games add up.

Dame prides himself on playing every night. I'd rather he prides himself on being in tip top condition at the end of the year. If that means taking some games off? So be it.

We'll see. I have no doubts, though.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

YOU AND ME BOTH. I even said it on here.

"This has to be talk." "Damn, he's really good."

But he shut me up. He's so consistently genuine that at this point that there's no way he could be faking this for 4 years. When I hear his post game interviews it doesn't sound like canned answers... it just sounds like he's having a conversation. Watch the ones he does with Barrett... it just sounds like he's sitting on a deck somewhere with a lemonade and shootin' the shit.

Nothing about him seems fake.

YES! His interviews are the best in the game, maybe some of the best Blazer interviews of all time. You notice how he lets Mike ask like five questions instead of the usual three? He wants to sit and talk shop. He's pure basketball.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Check this out. Steph Curry does this sensory deprivation tank thing that sounds legit.

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-f...-steph-currys-basketball-superpowers-20151214

That's just a cover story for the team carrying the Sleep Chamber that works with his Kryptonian physiology.