https://t.co/xbig2VnUdj?amp=1 The relationship is powerful in how it has impacted Nurkic. “Damian Lillard,’’ Nurkic said, “is the best thing that has happened to me in my life.’’
It needs be stated. There are some people here who shit on Lillard any chance they get. We are lucky to have him.
The worst are the idiots that say he doesn’t make anyone around him better (I block those people so fast I trip over myself.) He makes literally everyone around him better. He’s the main reason we’ve overachieved the past couple of seasons. Ingrates don’t deserve him.
But.. Wasn't Nurk better before he's been mentored? Isn't he underachieving? With all this "let's make opposite of Jail Blazers in Portland", are Olshey and PA trying to go for Nob Peace Price? It's nice PR article like tweet about Stotts is really best coach Lill ever had. Let's make another one about how they mentoring Harkless and some more pics of ML's husky. I agree with "Lillard is the reason we overachieving", but team spirit seems to be far from good in locker room for few years now. This team is all about PR.
Pretty clear that LA was done in Portland during that Memphis series this just solidified it: " One of those times was when Lillard was in his third year. It was the playoffs, in Memphis, and the Trail Blazers guard was struggling mightily against Mike Conley and the vaunted Grizzlies defense. By that time, still young at 25, he had established himself as a two-time All-Star, a playoff hero, and one of the pillars of the franchise. But in this playoff series, the Grizzlies' pressure, as well as his performance, cause some rumblings inside of himself. Either Aldridge didn't sense it, or he figured Lillard had it covered, but there was no emotional support from Aldridge. “There were times when I needed it, it just didn’t happen,’’ Lillard said. “It didn’t make me no less of a player. I figured it out. But it would have calmed things in my mind in games.’’ Lillard said in his heart, his confidence never wavered. He believed in himself and he knew he always found ways to succeed, and he figured he would again in that series. Still, he admitted he cast a hopeful eye to Aldridge, looking for assurance, advice, encouragement, an invitation to dinner ... anything. But Aldridge never bit. “I had confidence in myself, but I wanted (Aldridge) to be like, ‘Man, let’s go eat. You are going to be good. You are going to be an All-Star,’’’ Lillard said. “I wanted him to talk to me like that … but (he didn’t).’’" Edit:
I listened to bill Simmons podcast today from a couple days ago and him or his friend didn’t have lillard in top 20 players but listed Ben Simmons as high as 14. Made no sense to me. I understand dame is struggling percentage wise so far this season but damn look at his past two seasons. Crazy the disrespect he gets. Meanwhile I listened to Zach Lowe talk about portland and he expects dames percentages to normalize as most of us do.
Having Batum and LMA at the forward spots (on max contracts, no less!) would've duplicated his talents. No spank you.
