Point guard Damian Lillard is beginning to find his niche with the Bucks, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. While Lillard plans to do “a lot of listening” as he grows accustomed to a new environment, he says he’s already giving the younger players advice.
“I’ve just been coming in, introducing myself,” he said. “And I’m interacting with different guys so they can see, I’m not on ‘superstar time.’ And I think as I earn the respect of my teammates and everybody else, they respect what I say after that.
“But if something comes up that I’ve had (experience with), or something that I’ve, that I recognize is what’s in the best interest, I’m not afraid to be the person to say it. I’m not a guy that is going to hold back or second-guess what I have to say because I know that what I have to say comes from a good place at all time.”
New head coach Adrian Griffin is making an imprint as well, according to Goodwill, particularly on the defensive end.
“One of the messages to the team, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready,” Griffin said. “We want to be physical now so when the playoffs come you don’t have to be you know, talk about this good physical that’s gonna be part of our DNA.”
Here’s more from the Central:
- Pistons guard Monte Morris, who was acquired from Washington in the offseason, says he’s embracing the opportunity to become a vocal leader for a young Detroit team, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s going to be a good challenge for me because it’s going to be one of the first times in my career where that’s going to be something they’re going to be looking for from me,” Morris said. “To be a voice. With my resume and the experience I have been able to have in my career so far – being me, playing the right way, bring energy, trying to be as consistent as possible every day. Have fun with it. But (being) vocal is going to be my biggest challenge. I’m ready for it.”
- Head coach Monty Williams believes No. 5 overall pick Ausar Thompson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Pistons, as Langlois tweets. “We think he’s going to be phenomenal and we think he’s going to be an integral part of our team,” Williams said. “And there’s a chance that could happen right away.”
- Bulls guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since January 2021 and will miss the entire 2023/24 season following a third knee surgery. However, he’s optimistic that he’ll return to an NBA court in the future, he tells Jamal Collier of ESPN. “After the other surgeries, this one has definitely gone the best as far as (the) recovery process,” Ball said. “The last two rehab processes I had, I was getting better and then it just hit a standstill and it started going down. And I haven’t hit that yet.”
Rooting for zo, even if it’s a bench role we still love him in Chi and can’t wait for his return.
Lillard says: I’m not on super-star time (Dame-Time), and he’s giving advice to youngsters, which he never wanted do in PDX? He was so focused on himself that he alienated his PDX teammates and especially the youth. Good luck with your new mantra Dame, hopefully you’ve learned humility and compassion for your new teammates. He could have been the best blazer ever but he chose Lame-Time over team-time.
What a bunch of B.S. Dame is one of the best leaders the Blazers have ever had. He has mentored and taught all of the young guys, and has been loved by all of them.
If you are referring to the recent situation when he has referred to his need to compete for a championship with a strong team of vets, that just means he’s not willing to become an unofficial coach of a bunch of young guys at this stage of his career, while his clock is ticking to achieve his goals.
He has never been a good leader. 5 out of Lillard’s 11 seasons they were below 500, two of those years they were 500 or below but still made the playoffs. They made the playoffs 8 out if his 11 years, but when was he ever known for anything but being a great a shooter? Overall his teams were a combined 462/Wins-425/Loses or mediocre at best, even Alen Iverson was a better PG and he was a known ball hog scorer. Lillard will always be known as a high volume shooter and ball dominant PG, not known for passing or leadership. What teammates became all-stars because he made them better? Zero!
I think you are confusing being a distributing PG with leadership. Ball distribution doesn’t measure one’s ability to lead and mentor others. From everything I’ve heard of Dame he’s a good teammate and locker room leader.
He was a shoot first player in Portland because they lacked the offensive weapons to alleviate the burden he was forced to carry. I think you will see how different a superstar player’s game can be when surrounded by elite offensive weapons. Even a known chucker like Harden was able to average double digit assists when paired up with other superstars.
As a leader, Lillard was always on superstar time (as he says). He may have given advice to young players but he didn’t want to do it in PDX. Now in Milwaukee he wants too? If that was his attitude in PDX “like it is now” he would have stayed and been a great leader who sacrificed his stats for wins and made his teammates better. Now he has to take a backseat to Giannis, he refused to take a step back in PDX. The old saying: “some just need a hand up not a handout” rings true in leadership of a team. Young payers don’t want his handouts, they needed his hand up to build up. Sadly he tore down bridges in PDX and left a selfish legacy here. He was a hero in his own mind and always on Dame-time, it produced regression not aggression in teammates. Players seemed afraid to do anything but defer to Dame-time. Last year was Lame-time just watching his selfishness, 71 points in a game for what good? To be #1 in scoring? That’s a great PG “NOT” it was horrible when Kobe scored 81 and it was equally horrible to watch it while he allowed his teammates to suffer through it. He left PDX, empty and divorced not as a legend of a champion. That’s the saddest part to me and most fans. He had a chance to be the best ever but selfishness wouldn’t allow him to give of his game for youth “he once was” We all wish him success but know what that will require of him. He seems willing now but we’ll see if he can truly lead by sacrifice instead of Dame-time.
Safe to say the Bulls aren’t holding their breath with Ball. What a disaster.