I’ll admit, I saw Damian Lillard as a wasted pick because he was taken ahead of Harrison Barnes. With both players yet to dribble just once in a true NBA game, the jury is still out, and will probably be out for quite some time, years even.
On the same token, Lillard has been impressing people with his play of late, myself included, even though it is just Summer League. I will word it you like this: I am impressed, but not amazed. I am interested, wanting to see more, but not prematurely celebrating what could be the new local superstar.
Given enough time, this guy could be the real deal. A point guard unlike any the team has ever had, and quite possibly, he could even become the greatest point guard to ever pull a Trail Blazers jersey over his head, match it with some shorts, and wow fans in said uniform.
Yet, will he?
One thing is clear, he’s going to wear the uniform. Paul Allen is paying a lot of money so that you and I can watch Lillard slice and dice defenses in Blazers White, Red and Black. But tomorrow is not today, if you catch what I am saying.
Rave reviews of Damian Lillard’s Summer League results have been pouring in, some even going as far as to say he is producing “MVP-like” numbers, and it’s concerning. Do these people understand that right now is not exactly “game time”?! It’s not even preseason, it’s the Summer League! For the record, Adam Morrison and Travis Outlaw were once Summer League all-stars. Has there been better company to compare Lillard to? Absolutely, but there has also been worse.
The point is to not get too excited, not just yet anyway, at what you may or may not be seeing. Lillard is currently averaging 27.6 points along with 4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. More than stellar numbers, but not exactly against the best of the best.
The man he is commonly compared to, in both playing style and size, is Chris Paul, often referred to as the best pure point guard ever. Not a bad guy to be placed against, but not exactly a low goal either. And Lillard has not yet faced Paul (he will), so let’s keep the jury out.
Since they haven’t matched up yet, let’s compare stats. Paul put up “ok” numbers in his first Summer camp..er..league, posting 11.8 points a game along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He then went on a terror, averaging nearly 20 points and 10 assists per game over 7 seasons against the elite of the elite. This is a player who is second only to perhaps LeBron James at attacking defenses, and he is the best or just a notch behind Steve Nash at getting other players involved. Yet he also has another weapon: he can take over games on his own, scoring at will, and the defense knows it.
To be brutally honest, from a paper standpoint, Lillard and Paul are not that far apart. Just one thing separates them, and that is experience. Time reveals all things, and we have yet to learn what Lillard will become once he is officially an NBA player, on opening night and onward. To get there, where we all want him to lead us (a title, was that not clear?!), he will need two things: Time to learn and time to grow. At 22, he is likely not getting any taller, so the growing will have to be done mentally, as he learns to adapt to life at the NBA level.
Lillard can be everything the players, fans, and coaching staff need him to be, but the expectations need to be realistic. It is not playoffs or bust time. It is year one, of a possible three year rebuilding process. There isn’t even a head coach yet (c’mon, give Caleb Canales a shot), so to expect some fun this year, but not a ton of wins.
Do you know what Scott Brooks said the Thunder were doing during the first two dismal years of his coaching career? Learning how to win. His team went from the cellar, to the conference finals, to the NBA Finals in just three seasons.
The Blazers can accomplish the same things, and they do need to learn how to win. While Lillard is the key, he needs to be groomed just like any other young player. The fact is, a rookie has never led a team to the title. Guys have come close, but they have come up short or had a superstar veteran that the team would not have won without (Portland doesn’t have one. Sorry, truth). Another thing to keep in mind is that Paul has never won an NBA championship, nor has he even competed in the conference finals. Paul 2.0 will need to learn from the past without repeating it.
So hedge your bets, Portland. Keep it simple, keep it fun. This year, maybe even next, this team will grow, and we will see what they are capable of.
I know you want to win now. So do I. So does Lillard.
But let’s not rush things. Lillard, Meyers Leonard, and Will Barton all seem like great guys who can legitimately help this team for a long time if and when they are given the right amount of opportunity, space, and time.
Time we have, titles we do not. Let’s give them time. A year, maybe two, perhaps even three.
You have been waiting 35 years for a second title. I don’t think two more will kill you, or your spirit.
For now, just keep your feet on the ground, your heart in the right place, and be ready to shout out those “LET’S-GO-BLAZERS!” chants come fall.
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