Damian Lillard ‘all in’ with Blazers

HoopsHype
·8 min read

Lillard also became empowered under first-year coach Chauncey Billups, a former NBA player and LA Clippers assistant coach that replaced Terry Stotts after his nine seasons at the helm. “It was never out of hate or that we don’t like each other,” Lillard told NBA.com. “It was just, ‘This is how much I want to win it.’ So, once it was time to come back and I had a conversation with Chauncey and had a conversation with Neil, I’m not going to come back halfhearted. I’m going to come back and be all in.”
Source: Mark Medina @ NBA.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
I caught up with Damian Lillard, who still remains bullish about the Trail Blazers’ future w/ Chauncey Billups as head coach. Lillard: “He knows the way to help myself and him, as a coach, to become a champion.” on.nba.com/3pGkBwG – 11:05 AM

Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
10 things to keep an eye on from the NBA’s opening week, including LeBron’s iffy defense, the running Bulls, a slight modification to Dame Time, and more! si.com/nba/2021/10/27… – 9:09 AM

Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Ja Morant vs. Dame Time? Sign us up. Could the Grizzlies bounce back from their first regular season loss to get a W in Portland? @J_Timberfake_ breaks down keys to do so
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trailblazers Game Preview https://t.co/wwCKXsFFjz pic.twitter.com/gAhF5fg8VV – 8:30 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Fun fact: Russell Westbrook is shooting better from three than Damian Lillard this season.
They have made the same amount of threes. pic.twitter.com/lDiMg0GNnf – 11:11 PM

Casey Holdahl @CHold
It’s the 28th edition of The Blazers Balcony podcast with @brookeolzendam. An up and down first week, down bad in LA, Dame’s early shooting struggles, Norm’s injury, Nassir’s glow up, relationship with former players and returning to the road rip.city/3jFnLNH – 9:47 PM

Sean Highkin @highkin
For all the “Sixers are banking on Dame to ask for a trade midseason even though he’s doubled and tripled down repeatedly on not wanting to do that” people … is this a team someone asking out would be dying to go to? – 8:34 PM

Sean Highkin @highkin
Damian Lillard on his shooting slump: “I think I’m playing well. When I watch the film, I’m playing the game well. I’m just not making shots.” – 5:05 PM

Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
With the #Blazers falling to 1-2 & Chauncey Billups calling out the team’s effort postgame, Damian Lillard will need to lead the team out of their struggles, according to @Brian Geltzeiler #RipCity pic.twitter.com/A3gSz7u5G8 – 1:00 PM

Michael Gallagher @MikeSGallagher
ICYMI, talking James Harden’s slow start, Dame’s brutal start, Escobar season returning, Jaylen’s knee, Malone’s doghouse and possible Bones Hyland time, *Eric Collins voice* MILES BRIDGES, Herro’s passing, Nurse’s rotation, and more in today’s NBA 3 Ball. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/est… – 9:52 AM

John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Watched Clippers-Blazers this morning. I assume Damian Lillard will make a jump shot at some point this year, but bigger concern would be Covington/Nurkic – both were just awful. Clips gotta be pleased with Kennard-Mann-Hartenstein bench mob. – 9:28 AM

Chris Sheridan @sheridanhoops
Damian Lillard of #Blazers was 0-for-8 on 3s, making him 2-for-16 this season. To put that in perspective, Mo Bamba of #Magic has three times as many made 3s. – 4:48 AM

Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
Lillard slow start continues. He went 4 of 15 for 12 pts at Clips. Missed all 8 of his three attempts. Missed all 9 in loss to Sacramento on Wednesday and made just 2 of 7 against the Suns. Lillard, a career 37.4% three-point shooter, sits at 2 of 24 (8.3%) on the season. – 1:47 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Damian Lillard has shot 2-24 (8.3%) from three to start this season.
He is shooting 34.0% overall. pic.twitter.com/uc0HloDAkd – 12:39 AM

Jason Quick @jwquick
Damian Lillard off to shaky start this season with his shot: 19-of-50 from the field and 2-of-24 from 3-point line. – 12:35 AM

Mirjam Swanson @MirjamSwanson
Clippers 91, Portland 61 | End 3 | The home teams outscored the visitors 35-19 that last quarter. Dame has yet to hit from deep. PG has more steals (8) than buckets (6). Kennard and McCollum are the leading scorers, with 20 apiece. – 12:22 AM

Brad Botkin @bradbotkincbs
We going to start talking about how Lillard gotta get out of Portland, but let’s remember that Dame is a big part of the main reason Lillard might need to get out of Portland to compete for title. His D is awful. Olshey should build to cover that, but Lillard is still accountable – 12:19 AM

Sean Highkin @highkin
There’s something not right with Dame. – 12:15 AM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Dame was about to make a new logo out of Hartenstein
And he gets called for an offensive foul. #WhenInDoubtDunk still got the crowd up thoooooo – 12:09 AM

David Morrow @_DavidMorrow
Cannot believe Dame tried to dunk that lmao – 12:09 AM

Andrew Greif @AndrewGreif
Damian Lillard tried to climb Mount Hood going over the top of Isaiah Hartenstein but the young center blocked the poster. The audacity, but nope. – 12:09 AM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
I see these missed 3s from Dame and I just go back to the Olympics and short offseason even though Blazers didn’t advance.
The flurry will come, and I haven’t seen how others have dealt with the trip (I see Batum, and yeah, he’s not even looking to shoot)… but remember that. – 12:06 AM

David MacKay @DavidMacKayNBA
Take heart, though. Damian Lillard’s 2-21 start from three is an aberration. Some of Portland’s problems will appear less glaring once he starts burying those, and we all know he will. – 11:34 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Damian Lillard has missed 19 of his first 21 3s to start this season – 11:29 PM

Casey Holdahl @CHold
CJ gets the steal, finds Dame in transition, who hits Nas for the two-handed finish to cut LA’s lead to 47-35. Maybe that gets ’em going on the defensive end. – 11:23 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
First five minutes is through… Clippers offense has been all George/Jackson. Trail Blazers has been all Lillard/McCollum, outside of Nassir Little making his presence felt with a catch-and-shoot 3 and tough contested FG.
Trail Blazers up 11-10 early – 10:49 PM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups on improving the team’s ball movement so offense doesn’t just depend on Dame & CJ making shots pic.twitter.com/PxfC6W5vBO – 9:09 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Chauncey Billups says he will start Nassir Little with Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic. Norman Powell (knee) out tonight – 9:01 PM

Andrew Greif @AndrewGreif
Clippers held Damian Lillard to 17% shooting last year in two games. Ty Lue said Clippers can’t let him get the easy looks. Last year Clips trapped Lillard relentlessly. – 8:52 PM

Damian Lillard @Dame_Lillard
Skills over politics. Shoutout to @BARSONI95 for coming out to Portland and recording an episode with me. Freestyle and interview drop Wednesday. #DameDOLLA #BarsOnI95 🎙 pic.twitter.com/0EcSUR90Ji – 6:04 PM

Damian Lillard @Dame_Lillard
Instagram need to let people put a song on they page like old school my MySpace – 12:51 PM

James Ham @James_HamNBA
In his first three games, Kings rookie Davion Mitchell has played against Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson, Stephen Curry and Jordan Clarkson (and others). Steph was the toughest. Next up, Devin Booker and Chris Paul. pic.twitter.com/X0zHSmkNEO – 12:28 AM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Ja Morant told me he’s a top 5 point guard in the NBA, along with Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Dame Lillard and Russell Westbrook before the season. More from my conversation with @Ja Morant on @Jorge Sierra. hoopshype.com/lists/ja-moran… – 12:05 AM

Damian Lillard @Dame_Lillard
Dame D.O.L.L.A. – Right One featuring Lil Wayne and Mozzy youtu.be/jFsAOeLVbPc via @YouTube – 6:55 PM

More on this storyline

On the surface, Damian Lillard’s words captured preseason platitudes about the Portland Trail Blazers and their chances to win an NBA championship this season. “I’m optimistic. I’m a believer,” Lillard said. “And I love this organization.” -via NBA.com / October 27, 2021

Malika Andrews: A snippet of our interview with Damian Lillard on NBA Today: “I just wanted it to be clear. It’s not one of those situations where I’m waiting for some adversity to hit… The last thing I’m thinking about is waiting for it to get tough and then bailing out on (Chauncey Billups).” -via Twitter @malika_andrews / October 22, 2021

Lillard told The Athletic that a series of conversations with Billups over the summer helped center his thoughts back to Portland and what could happen if he stayed. Those conversations — Billups said it was five or six, some of them in person, some on the phone — dealt with basketball philosophy, strategies and concepts. But they also involved topics that penetrated to Lillard’s core. They talked about family, life after basketball, and the qualities found in a winner. -via The Athletic / October 20, 2021

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