Portland Trail Blazers: Scott Brooks will make an excellent lead assistant

Scott Brooks could play a huge role in keeping Damian Lillard in Rip City

Many Portland Trail Blazers fans fear that Damian Lillard could ask out of Rip City if he isn’t presented with a championship-caliber team soon. The team, of course, also includes the coaching staff. That makes it instrumental that Billups is surrounded with some of the best minds in basketball.

Brooks has yet to win a championship as an NBA coach of any level. Despite that fact, his players have nothing but glowing reviews for his mentorship.

Through the years, there have been some telling quotes about Brooks’s relationships with his stars.

Kevin Durant spoke on his former coach, calling for fans to credit him for the Wizards return to the playoffs this season, according to the Washington Post:

"“He’s a good coach, man. A good coach. He’s one of those guys you would run through a wall for.”"

Russell Westbrook shared Durant’s sentiments in a statement he issued after the Wizards downed the Charlotte Hornets to clinch the eighth seed. From NBC Sports Washington:

"“Players get a lot of credit because we’re on the floor. But behind the scenes, Scotty is one hell of a coach. Not just that, a person, and he does an amazing job making sure we’ve got all our stuff together.”"

NBC Sports Washington also reported that upon hearing the news that the Wizards would be parting ways with the coach, Bradley Beal was quick to offer his praises for Brooks:

"“When I first got the news, it was tough. Scotty was great. This is my second coach I’ve played for and even when I talked to him afterwards, [I said] how grateful I was towards him. He helped change my game and evolved my game to what it is now”"

It’s clear that Brooks has built strong relationships with his stars in both of his stops as a head coach. Not only will he be a pillar for Billups, he’ll also act as a liaison for the rookie head coach and his players. Brooks gives Damian Lillard a go-to ear to voice all of his concerns during the upcoming season, and can smooth over the communication between players and coaches if the team encounters any rough patches.

Don’t be surprised to see similar quotes about Brooks from Lillard next season.