“As long as we buy in, we could look like a completely different team on both ends of the floor" - Damian Lillard expresses optimism about Portland Trail Blazers
It seems as if the mood between the Portland Trail Blazers and superstar Damian Lillard has drastically changed. Throughout the offseason, there was buzz surrounding the Trail Blazers organization that Lillard was looking for a trade. It was massive news around the NBA, as Lillard has been the heart and soul of the Portland franchise since he was drafted by the team in 2012.
When a player comes out and expresses a desire to be traded, there are usually two routes that an organization can go down. They can either make some moves in order to give that player his request. Or they could simply gamble and see if time can let the tension between the two parties calm everything down. Portland chose the second route, and it seems as if everyone is back on the same page for now. In a recent interview, Lillard expressed that his desire to leave earlier in the offseason was based on competitive frustration.
“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.”
The Portland Trail Blazers made big changes to their team this offseason, but it wasn't on the roster. The team went out and hired Chauncey Billups to be the new head coach, replacing Terry Stotts, who had been with the Blazers and Lillard since 2012. After a number of years in which Portland seemed to continue to be a popular "sleeper" in the Western Conference, the team struggled to take the next step to become a consistent threat for a championship run. It's no surprise to see why a player with such a competitive spirit as Lillard has grown frustrated with the organization's struggle to improve its roster over the years.
Since Billups has arrived, it seems as if the shift of mentality with Lillard is coming around. He's expressed that he knows the team is going to have growing pains this year, but he wants to stick around with the organization moving forward.
“As long as we buy in,” Lillard said, “we could look like a completely different team on both ends of the floor.”
It's easy to see why Damian Lillard has come around on the beliefs of his new head coach. Chauncey Billups himself was a competitive point guard who had success at the highest level. Billups was a five-time All-Star and was named to three All-NBA teams. On top of that, he went on to win a Finals MVP during the Detroit Pistons 2004 Championship against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Y'all imposed y'all's will...defense should be fun, it's fun like that!"
A wholesome video from Coach Billups first win as head coach https://t.co/c5hPdkI3ZU
For now, it seems as if Lillard and Billups are on the right path. They know this is going to be a new and challenging process for both parties. With the history and competitive bond that the two point guards have, it's going to be fascinating to see how the Portland Trail Blazers can develop throughout the year.