The Portland Trail Blazers are a team without an identity. They are unproven and untested. Most of the national news affiliates predict that the Blazers will be one of the worst teams in the league this season, and rightfully so. That’s what you get when the majority of your core leaves, a core that had won 104 games in the past two seasons. This is all uncharted territory for this group of Blazers. They are a team starting over, trying to find a new personality. Luckily there is one man on the roster abundantly qualified to lead them.
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For the first time in his professional career, Damian Lillard will be the man. During his first three years in the league he has been a unanimous rookie of the year, a two time All-Star and a third-team all NBA’er. He has multiple game winners, a huge contract with Adidas and a new deal with the Blazers. With all of those accolades there is one thing missing: the tag of face of a franchise. With so much change to the roster including the loss of LaMarcus Aldridge, that is exactly what Lillard will now have. He is the on and off the court leader that this team has been missing for a long time, not just in terms of play but as a public figure. Just this summer he has been all over the world promoting Adidas, The Blazers, and The Special Olympics. The spot light seems like his natural habitat, but that wasn’t always the case.
He wasn’t supposed to be here, in Portland, on the Blazers, or in the NBA. Yet he continues to beat the odds. The casual Blazers fan might not realize just how lucky we are to even have him on our team. We traded a dilapidated Gerald Wallace to Brooklyn for a draft pick and then that pick turned out to be Damian Lillard. We got number one overall value out of the sixth pick that year. Even up against the Übermensch Anthony Davis, Damian walked out the unanimous rookie of the year. That’s a pretty big deal; only Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, and Blake griffin have done so. Good company for some kid from Oakland.
“If another person’s words can knock you off balance, then you need to check your foundation and see what you’re built on”-Damian Lillard
Lillard is driven by a burning desire to prove the doubters wrong and the next chapter In Damian’s story won’t be any different. The fact that The Blazers are a national afterthought will be the kindling for Dame’s next big blaze. There will always be doubters and naysayer, one of Dame’s biggest strengths comes from his inner fortitude. He has the ability to stay on an even keel no matter what. In a 2014 tweet Lillard said, “If another person’s words can knock you off balance, then you need to check your foundation and see what you’re built on”. The fact that Lillard has a foundation made of steel bodes well for the franchise.
He might not be the best at any single aspect of the game but he has the best mix of skills of any point guard in the league. He shoots like a splash bro, gets to the cup like Kyrie, and dunks like D. Rose. He is an offensive Swiss Army knife. Who else can shoot, dunk, slash, and work the pick and roll better? Maybe Russell Westbrook but I’m not entirely sure he’s from planet earth. The fact that Lillard participated in all five major events at All-star weekend two years ago is just more proof of his wide reaching repertoire. Damian Lillard lets his game do the talking, and the word is good.
Stephen Curry is the best point guard in the league with Russell Westbrook breathing down his neck, but who comes next is a hot debate. Most people will tell you Chris Paul and while he is a stud, he isn’t getting any younger and knee injuries have a way of coming back. For my money Damian Lillard has to be the guy, especially with the year he is about to have. John Wall and Kyrie Irving (both number 1 picks) are Lillard’s closest competitors. Lillard and Irving especially are almost mirror images of each other and Wall possess other worldly passing instincts. Other than his fearlessness, the thing that separates Lillard his is rugged durability. Irving has missed 72 games, Wall has missed 65 games, and Damian Lillard has missed none. You can’t be the best if you don’t play.
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
I’m not under any illusions, and you shouldn’t be either. This will not be the year the Blazers hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. There won’t be many nationally televised games or blowout wins. This year will be about growth and moral victories. There will be no shortage of excitement however with this young group, especially with Dame at the helm. As Damian goes so will the Blazers, his victories and defeats will be ours. We are now firmly in the Lillard era, and I couldn’t be more excited for his legend to grow.