Dame Lillard "I'm too solid for this weird azz era"

ThatBoyNick · Sep 8, 2021

J.R. said: ↑

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DrexlerFan suicide momentarily averted

Asian Sensation · Sep 8, 2021

J.R. said: ↑

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Step 1 complete.

Next steps:

Force a CJM trade for John Wall cause that’s his boy.

Get eliminated in the first or second round.

Gain a bunch of weight in the off season and come in out of shape.

Play a few games, give up, call the situation crazy and how it can’t be fixed.

Quit, walk out, demand a trade to join a Top 3 player and make sure former team doesn’t get anywhere close to full value.

Upon arrival of new dream destination try hard again, give well thought out answers in interviews

Apologize to old city and tell them you still got love for them.

and there you have it… Weird azz era y’all.

Salvy · Sep 8, 2021

Asian Sensation said: ↑

Step 1 complete.

Next steps:

Force a CJM trade for John Wall cause that’s his boy.

Get eliminated in the first or second round.

Gain a bunch of weight in the off season and come in out of shape.

Play a few games, give up, call the situation crazy and how it can’t be fixed.

Quit, walk out, demand a trade to join a Top 3 player and make sure former team doesn’t get anywhere close to full value.

Upon arrival of new dream destination try hard again, give well thought out answers in interviews

Apologize to old city and tell them you still got love for them.

and there you have it… Weird azz era y’all.
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And still have a bunch of mindless ex's who will defend him at all costs no matter how dirty he did them...

Jontro · Sep 10, 2021

what does rip city mean? did someone die or did something tear?

blahblehblah · Sep 11, 2021

I give Dame credit for being stubborn, loyal and true to his franchise and beliefs.

But...

Personally I rather see dame in Philly with Embid. That would make the east battle incredibly exciting with a great top 3 of nets, bucks, sixers and a wild card in the heat.

J.R. · Oct 19, 2021

Squirtle · Oct 20, 2021

J.R. said: ↑

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Glad my main man Dame has seen the light! Praise Jesus.

JayGoogle · Oct 20, 2021

J.R. said: ↑

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Welp...there's always John Wall?

J.R. · Oct 30, 2021

ElPigto · Oct 30, 2021

J.R. said: ↑

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Go ahead and tweet that to Morey.

KingLeoric · Oct 30, 2021

Lillard playing like a top 75 player in the league so far this season.

J.R. · Nov 3, 2021

The day before Lillard was to shoot his music video, he made a surprise appearance at a WNBA game, featuring the Los Angeles Sparks and Las Vegas Aces. Upon arriving, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was already sitting courtside. On the way to his seat, James stood up to acknowledge his “Space Jam: A New Legacy” cast member. The two shook hands and exchanged a laugh.

Later that evening, James sent Lillard an invitation to his mansion in Brentwood.

“He was like, ‘Pull up. Let’s have lunch to talk shop,’ ” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “So I pulled up.”

Lillard’s future in Portland was in the balance at this point. He bled Rip City, but he was weighing all of his options.

Through the years, James hasn’t been shy — publicly and privately — in relaying how thrilling it would be to share the same jersey as the Oakland native.

The 6-foot-3 guard caught an Uber from his hotel to James’ house. After security opened the gate for the vehicle to enter the property, Lillard was met at the door by a house staffer who escorted him through the living room and into the elevator. The destination was the rooftop.

When the elevator reached the top floor, James and fellow Lakers star Anthony Davis were sitting on one side of a table waiting for Lillard to join them on the other side. Before they fully dove into lunch of an Italian salad followed by pasta and a fine bottle of rosé wine, James kicked off the conversation, detailing his experience living in Los Angeles.

Lillard did not categorize the meeting as a platform for a recruiting presentation, but rather an information-gathering forum among respected peers.

“’Bron asked what I was thinking with my situation, and I told him what I’m telling you: that I just want to be in a position to win it all,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “He painted the picture to me that if I were to leave, the situation could look like this. He didn’t tell me to come to L.A., and he didn’t say anything to me that I didn’t already know other than what it could look like. I told him, ‘I know if I were to play with y’all, I know it would work out because of my skill set,’ and who I am and who they are.”

They all addressed their respective first-round losses, and what each team needed to improve its roster. Davis explained his transition to Southern California.

Lillard expressed his hesitancy to join any iteration of a super-team.

“I was just saying, I don’t know if this is the route I wanted to go,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “And that was pretty much how the conversation went.”

The meeting lasted for an hour and a half.

Lillard promised to keep them posted on what he decided to do, but the Lakers were already privately evaluating their options on potentially landing Lillard, sources said.

While Lillard waited for his Uber, James showed him the rest of the house and around the backyard. The Uber showed up after 20 or so minutes and whisked Lillard away. This much was clear: There was no way Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey would ever trade Lillard to the Lakers.

Though joining the Lakers wasn’t at the top of his list, that Lillard took the meeting with James showed how much he respected the four-time NBA champion and how much he was receptive to the idea of trying something new.

“The whole time I knew I was a Trail Blazer, but obviously coming off that playoff loss, I was like, ‘We got to do something to show we’re actually trying to win it,’ ” Lillard told Yahoo Sports of his conversation with management. “There are so many teams in the league where some want to tank; some teams just want to be a playoff team and see if they can make things interesting; and then there are a few teams with the mindset of winning a championship.

“So for me, I was in that position where I was wondering if we’re actually trying to win a championship. I want to be a part of something where winning a title is everybody’s mission. I was asking my team, ‘Is that what we’re really trying to do? What are we doing to show that’s what we really want?’ Those were my questions, and I presented them that way. Like, ‘What are we doing? How are we honestly saying we want to win it all? What steps are we taking?’ I just had a decision to make.”
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In feverishly pondering the route to take, something kept pulling him back to Portland.

“When I was like, ‘Man, what if I’m not back in Portland?’ When I actually had that thought, it just runs so deep with me to win here,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “I want to win here. I’ve attached myself to the history of this organization and this city. Just in thinking about how long it’s been since they’ve won, I want to be a part of that coming to an end. I want people to say, ‘When Dame came through here, he rode all the way out for us through the good and the bad. He was ready to sink with the ship.’

“When I think about how I want the people around me to be like, I try to be that as a Trail Blazer. It’s not always going to be peaches and cream. It’s not always going to look good. You're not going to get the praise. It’s a small market. You’re going to miss out on certain things. S***, you may never win. But if I did decide to go do something else, there’s also no guarantee that I’m going to win it by moving on.

“So, my best bet is to stick to my guns and do what I care about in my heart. Now, if I was to move on and I get there and it doesn’t work out and then they decide to blow it up, and now I’m a part of a deal going somewhere else. You look at some of the dudes around the league that was at the top of their game and they made one move and now they’re on this team, next year on another team and now they’re somewhere completely different. As much as I want to win, I want to do it my way.”
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“When I started to interact more and more with Chauncey, I haven’t met a lot of people when I talk to them where our lenses are the same,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “The way we see stuff, it was just lining up and I could tell he wasn’t trying to line his up with mine. It was organic, and my history of knowing him, he’s always been like that. That, combined with his success as a player and him playing my position, I decided to stick to what I’ve always been and what I’ve always said, and I’m willing to live with the results of that.”

Lillard recently redeclared his commitment to the team, dismissing the vultures circulating around his discontentment.
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J.R. · Nov 3, 2021

The 10-year guard didn’t necessarily get the roster shakeup he called for, but he insists that he’s in a better place with the organization after a few meetings with management and team ownership.

“The conversations I’ve had with Neil, he didn’t promise me we’re about to get LeBron,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “They didn’t tell me we’re about to go get a superstar player because I don’t think you need all superstar players to win. We’ve got C.J. [McCollum]. He’s an All-Star-level player. We’ve got [Jusuf] Nurkic. He’s one of the best centers in the league. It’s the way you piece the team together.

“If you look at Phoenix, they don’t have a bunch of stars. They got people who are really good at what they do and understand their roles. Chris Paul and Devin Booker are All-Stars, but Deandre Ayton is a quality center, Jae Crowder is an experienced, quality stretch-four man that’s tough, Cam Johnson is nice and Mikal Bridges is my favorite small forward in the league. You just look at how that team is put together and they’re in the Finals coming out of the West. That’s what my vision is.

“I don’t see us just landing star players. I’m Dame Lillard, and C.J. is C.J. McCollum. We have the core pieces to do the same thing that Phoenix did. It’s just how you fill that in. We just got on the same page. Me, Chauncey and Neil. We all spoke and we got on the same page as far as what my thoughts were and how I feel like we can win it. That was good enough for me. I had trust in that. But, we’ll see. They can’t guarantee me anything and I can’t guarantee anything to them, but we got on the same page.”
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If Lillard decided to leave, he understood it could also disrupt his family. Family members were aware Lillard was mulling a decision that could change a reliable dynamic that has been in place for almost 10 years, yet wanted only to support him.

“My family was encouraging me to not make a decision based on them,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “They were like, ‘We’re going to be fine.’ But I know they said that to be unselfish. So when I was thinking about potentially leaving, I was thinking if it’s really worth it to chase what all these other people are telling me I have to have, or is it more important to just do what means something to me. If there’s anybody in this league that moves to the beat of their own drum, it’s me.

“I think the media is so strong now that a lot of top players have become influenced by the media. And for me, I think some media people have an issue with me or they view my stance as coming off a certain way. I don’t tune out what they say, but I just do what I want to do. And I think people look at it like, ‘Ah, he’s just taking the money. He doesn’t want to win.’ The media is so accustomed to rocking the boat and making people move how they want to move, and that’s not going to happen with me.

“I’m sure it would be great to play with LeBron and AD and play in a big market, but as attractive as it sounded and as fun as that might be, I don’t feel in my heart that that’s who I am or where I belong. And one thing I want to emphasize is that this decision wasn’t made out of comfort. I’m not afraid to be out of my comfort zone because I’m going to live here when I’m done playing regardless. I made my decision based on what I actually want to do.”
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Known as Big Hou, Lillard’s father, Houston Lillard Sr., played an instrumental role in his son’s decision to remain in Portland without saying a word.

Big Hou is known in Oakland as someone not to be messed with. He doesn’t talk much and seldom smiles, which makes him an intimidating presence to some. If you’re around him enough, his vibe will let you know how he feels. When he does talk, he imparts wisdom.

“I can tell my dad wasn’t really into me leaving,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “My dad felt where I was coming from in thinking about leaving. But in our conversations, I could tell by his reactions and energy that he was never a fan of going somewhere else. Any time I’ve ever brought something up to my dad, if he supported it, he would be like, ‘To hell with them. Go.’ I guarantee that would be his exact words: ‘To hell with their ass.’ And if he was in support of me doing something different, that would have been his response.

“But I knew he really preferred me to stay put and see it through how I’ve always felt from the beginning because he never even made a comment about me going somewhere else. And then when I told him I was going to stay in Portland and told him how much I liked Chauncey and the staff, he was happy to hear it. That made me more comfortable with my decision.”
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Lillard recalls paying attention to The Greek Freak’s every move when the confetti began pouring from the rafters. It helped reconfirm his initial desire.

“Usually when people win championships and start getting all emotional, I’m always wondering if they’re really moved like that,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “Is that real emotions? Does he really feel like that? Because I’ve been in big moments and people would expect me to be emotional and I’m not. So I question the authenticity of how emotional they are in some situations.

“But when I watched Giannis, he was really looking around like, ‘Damn, what if I really left Milwaukee? This was worth it.’ So for me, I put myself in his shoes. Sometimes it seems like this is impossible and it’s never going to happen, and I’m sure he was there before, too.

“If I was to get that championship for Portland, I would cry, bruh. Bruh, on the spot. I would really cry, bro. I want to win a championship here. And because of how strongly I feel about that, I don’t know how rewarding it would feel for me at this point if I won somewhere else. Winning it here would be a lifetime achievement for me.”
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Jalen Green OnlyFan · Nov 3, 2021

Deandre Ayton catching strays from lillard.

not a star player

Rockets34Legend · Dec 6, 2021

J.R. · Dec 6, 2021

https://theathletic.com/2999270/202...xt-with-franchise-cornerstone-damian-lillard/

The Trail Blazers mediocrity this season has been unsettling for Lillard.

He is a six-time All-Star and was recently named to the league’s list of the 75 greatest players of all time. He has, for most of his time in Portland, put any discontent he had with the team’s roster or coaching staff behind him, putting his faith in his abilities and those of his teammates to find a winning formula.

But two key concerns of his were not accounted for last offseason: Lillard’s desire for roster changes and for Jason Kidd, then a Lakers assistant and now Dallas Mavericks coach, to be strongly considered for the Portland job opening after Terry Stotts was fired. Olshey instead targeted LA Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups as the new coach and did not make major changes to the roster, believing the current core was built for contention.

In hindsight, the handling of the roster and the head coaching search process that led to Billups’ hire appear to have been miscalculations.

The defensive struggles that led to Stotts’ dismissal have continued; the Blazers rank 30th in defensive rating. And in recent weeks, sources say Lillard has grown frustrated with the team’s play and tension appears to be on the rise between the players and Billups.

After Saturday night’s home blowout loss to Boston, Billups lit into the players.

“Competitive fire and pride, that’s something you either have or don’t have,” Billups said. “That’s something you can’t turn off and turn on. … I’ve never seen a team that needs its bench to inspire our starters. That **** is crazy to me. It’s supposed to be the other way around.”

Billups is a former NBA champion, longtime respected player and formed a friendship with Lillard before taking the Portland job. But Lillard made it clear during the coaching search that he preferred a head coach who had done this job before; at the time, Lillard was open to partnering with veteran coach Mike D’Antoni or Kidd.

When specifically asked about his job security after Stotts was fired, Olshey said on June 7: “Well, I’m running the coaching search. I have multiple years left on my contract. I think the feeling is that in this instance, well in the past there may have been questions, the first-round loss and the defensive rating at 29 was not a product of the roster.”

As far as the roster, Lillard had made clear to management in the offseason that he wanted changes and allowed Olshey to do his job while maintaining loyalty even as questions arose about him staying in Portland. Fast forward to now, and the Trail Blazers have underperforming players across the roster.

Lillard’s individual struggles haven’t helped with his comfort level. His scoring is down more than seven points (28.8 to 21.5 points per game), with Lillard shooting marginally less (from 19.9 attempts overall and 10.5 3s per game last season to 18.4 and 9.1). His accuracy, of course, has been a major issue: Lillard is shooting a career-low 39.7 percent from the field (he was 45.1 percent last season) and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc (39.1 percent last season).

More specifically, Billups’ choice to use Lillard in pick-and-rolls less than Stotts did has been a point of contention. Per Synergy, Lillard’s time as the pick-and-roll ballhandler has declined from 46.3 percent last season to 39.2 percent. His points per possession in those scenarios has dipped significantly as well (from 1.073 to 0.883). The defensive rules changes have clearly impacted Lillard too, as he’s on a career-low pace in terms of free-throw attempts (4.5 per game, down from 7.2 last season).

Lillard is nursing an abdominal injury that he dealt with during Team USA’s gold medal run in last summer’s Tokyo Olympics. The Trail Blazers announced on Dec. 1 that Lillard will miss at least 10 days with the injury.
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So, what’s next?

Lillard intends to give the Trail Blazers organization time to find its next leader of basketball operations. But beyond the front office component, the face of the franchise still wants significant changes to the roster. Multiple sources have told The Athletic that Lillard would like to play with Philadelphia 76ers three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. The Trail Blazers’ league-worst defense would instantly improve, and sharing a backcourt with a non-shooter could work given Lillard’s high-volume usage.

Sources say the Trail Blazers, under Olshey, discussed the framework of a trade for Simmons, moving CJ McCollum, a first-round draft pick and a young player such as Nassir Little or Anfernee Simons to Philadelphia. The 76ers, sources said, at one point asked the Trail Blazers for McCollum and multiple draft picks and multiple draft swaps, which Portland rejected. Olshey maintained significant confidence in the roster he constructed. Now, it’s unclear if there’s a deal to be had with the 76ers. But with Olshey out, who among chair Jody Allen, vice chair Bert Kolde and Cronin would be the one making the call on a Simmons trade or any acquisition designed to alleviate Lillard’s concerns?

The hope within the organization is that Olshey’s exit acts as a kind of reset. Cronin is overseeing the front office now, and sources said he will be a legitimate candidate for the permanent job. In the interim, Cronin will have autonomy for moves that benefit the organization moving forward. Cronin, a former college player at Northern Colorado, has served as the Blazers’ head of strategy and negotiations for the past decade while utilizing his knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap and scouting.
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There seem to be two inflection points coming over the next seven months. The first arrives Feb. 10, the NBA’s trade deadline. If Lillard were to finally ask out of Portland, he would presumably do so before then. The next comes July 6, when Lillard is formally eligible to sign a supermax extension worth $106.6 million over two years that would take him under contract through 2026-27. If Portland offers him that extension, will he sign it?
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ElPigto · Dec 6, 2021

J.R. said: ↑

https://theathletic.com/2999270/202...xt-with-franchise-cornerstone-damian-lillard/
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I guess Morey will be happy that Lillard will finally be available soon.

Rocket River · Dec 6, 2021

I hear now he ready to trade CJ for Ben Simmons

Rocket River

Invisible Fan · Dec 6, 2021

That might be an interesting combo.

I mean Simmons and playoffs sounds as great as inserting Shaq in the final 2 mins of a close game.

Interesting in the sense that I don't really care what happens to the Blazers.

Easy · Dec 6, 2021

Simmons for McCollum is a pretty good return for the Sixers under the circumstances.

The Blazers are going nowhere. If I were them, I'd do a fire sale and rebuild instead of try to pair a guy like Simmons with Lillard. Simmons only makes sense to a team that is missing a third or fourth wheel to contend. Portland is far from being a contender. Trading McCollum for Simmons is a lateral move at best.

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