Zombie Blazers VS NO game thread, bitches (lillard's first summer league game)

3 words: Damian Fucking Lillard

 

That's uhhhhh ... a good imagination that guy has there.

 

Very impressed with Leonard and Lillard. Just trying to imagine LA and Hickson thrown into the mix. Win. lose or draw, I'm feeling a fun year of NBA is in store for us Blazer fans. I'm even starting to warm to the idea of Caleb as head coach. The team played with more focus after their halftime chat. And yes to all the numb-nutz that say: "it's only a summer league game"... I understand that!

 

I was able to watch the game just since the 3rd quarter so I've watched the better minutes for our team:
When people said Brandon Roy I could see it but I could also somewhat see it with Jerryd Bayless. I don't remember Brandon Roy's first SL game and maybe it'll only get better but right now Lillard seems like he's something in the middle.
I did like his Point-Guard skills. Didn't have too many problems. He creates mostly for himself but is not a selfish player, if he has a good pass or even simple pass he'll make it but he trusts mostly himself and in the 2nd half he was right. I think with a guy like Aldridge playing next to him he'll tone down his volume of shots. Shouldn't do it just from respect though and he probably wouldn't - seems like a confident player with very good decision making.

I also liked Leonard, Javale Mcghee was a good comparison. Athletic, good defensively and on the boards, a bit kooky (is this a word?). sometimes jumps when he doesn't have to, sometimes goes too far out to guard the perimeter, but definitely has some skills defensively. If he can continue to make free-throws he'll be better than Pryzbilla ever was and I very much liked the footwork comment, he is very athletic. Probably quicker than Babbitt.

Speaking of Babbitt, he had some bad moments like with the two offensive rebounds but he looks better, he looks like he's learning the game and getting to be more comfortable. A smart player. He's someone that'll probably continue to have these moments when you want him off the team but I like him more I think he's getting better.

Barton I also liked. A very solid option for backup SG. Quiet, doesn't force anything but very skilled. Passed the ball to Leonard's dunk and also had the steal and dunk in crunch time. I put him ahead of Diebler in the depth chart.

Mathewss I liked, I like this player even if I would rather have him as our 6th player rather than as our 5th.
This game made me think that in Leonard and Lillard we have two promising already-solid starters. Made me want to re-sign Nic. Lillard, Nic, Lamarcus and Leonard would be interesting combo. I like Mathewss but would rather see him as a backup to both SG and SF. I was disappointed Elliot Williams didn't play, heard he was still injured but still had hope he'd play.

 

It's only a summer league game

 

I think the biggest thing about Lillard is that I think he will eventually learn to trust his teammates. He just came from a college where he was pretty much the only weapon on offense. He will need to adjust to having guys like Aldridge, Batum, Hickson, etc. He has guys he can pass to and he just needs to trust that they can deliver. He showed some good things, and he probably got more assists than Bayless did in his entire summer league (haha).

The reason why I don't like the McGee comparison is that Leonard seems like a really sharp guy. Very well spoken. I think he has a lot of potential.

 

Haaa. I knew it... You get repped for being the first in.

 

...and a first half where all his passes ended up being bricked by the streakmasters around him.

 

Not commented on by the commentators, but for nonplayoff teams that have several players on their SL team that will actually be in the regular season rotation, winning is actually important.

Contrast this with a team like the Spurs. Their coach was interviewed during their SL game and said bluntly that they had already signed the players they wanted, and they didn't need their SL players! Obviously, winning the actual SL games isn't important to Greg Popovich or the Spurs.

 

I can't imagine a team not wanting their players to compete, even if they perceive them to be locks for rotation. Learning to compete is one of the biggest pitfalls for young NBA players. Myself, I can't imagine not getting them time to learn how to win.

 

nbadraft.net compared Leonard to Robin Lopez, one of the immobile, and lumbering centers in the league. Leonard is the exact opposite.

 

For some teams, it's really more about evaluating the talent on their roster. Yes, they want to win, but I've found that coaches don't always put their best players in at the end of SL games. Obviously, we didn't put Wesley in at the end of the game with the game on the line.

 

Maybe they were thinking of his brother

 

Brook is just as slow as Robin. He's just more skilled.

 

True, but that illustrates my point. It doesn't matter who is on the floor... it's a matter of getting them to compete.
It makes no difference between sports and business at this juncture, management wants to see who competes. I perceive the the Trail Blazers did tonight and it makes me happy, As much as I hate to say it, I saw 3 rooks and a few others that looked as though they were competing at an MBA level... that bodes well for the Blazers.

 

He has the build of Brook Lopez but is obviously much more mobile.

 

Man our rooks got me PSYCHED. Trying not to get over Psyched and put them on a pedestal they can't possible attain as rookies.

 

Thank you, pretty much has my take as well. LEO and Lillard are going to do quite well... I think.

 

I didn't get to watch the game. I DVR'd it, but for some reason it didn't record.

Well, I've read a couple pages of posts in this thread and everyone seems upset with Lillard. The guy had 25, 4 and 4. Compare that to Waiters and Rivers and he looked great.

I'll watch the replay tomorrow to see what everything was like with my own eyes. Unless someone knows where I can watch a replay online.

 

[video=youtube;ApG0SFjDoCE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApG0SFjDoCE[/video]