tlongII
10-30-2014, 09:13 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2014/10/inside_the_blazers_after_russell_westbrook_scores. html
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/29/-bb28c5a2471d92e8.jpg
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and the team head to the court as The Portland Trail Blazers face the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Moda Center.
The most important subplot to the Trail Blazers season is how much this team has improved defensively, and no player will be under the magnifying glass more than point guard Damian Lillard.
After Wednesday's season-opening 106-89 victory over Oklahoma City, Lillard has to be feeling the heat.
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook had 38 points and six assists and was the most dominant player on the court. He posted Lillard. He duped him backdoor for a layin. And he shot over him. Along the way, he put the Blazers' rising star in foul trouble.
The other end wasn't much better. Lillard went scoreless in the first half and missed his first six shots before a making a driving layin two minutes into the second half.
"There's going to be nights like that,'' Lillard said. "It just happened to be my first game.''
But before anybody starts thumping the well-beaten drum that Lillard plays no defense, consider: Westbrook is one of the best point guards in the game, and he was effective against every defender the Blazers put in front of him, including Wesley Matthews, Nic Batum and Steve Blake - all considered better than average defenders.
"Even when I wasn't guarding him, he made really tough plays,'' Lillard said. "It's almost to the point where you have to respect his ability to get in the paint and make shots and finish. That's just the player he is.''
Lillard, I believe, will be a better defender this season, simply because he wants to be. Half the battle in being a good defender in the NBA is effort and will, and nobody can question that with Lillard.
"He's worked on it all preseason,'' LaMarcus Aldridge said. "He has showed people that he is definitely trying to be better defensively, and he's given better effort. I think everybody is seeing that the effort is there. It 's just different when you go from being a scorer to learning how to do both. It just takes time. But he has always been an overly competitive guy who wants to do well on both ends.''
The Blazers got away with Westbrook having a huge night because the injury-depleted Thunder simply ran out of options. Without Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow, Westbrook took 26 shots, nearly one-third of the Thunder's attempts. Many of the Blazers players noted that Westbrook appeared to have tired late in the game.
The Thunder's lack of offensive weapons also allowed the Blazers to use wings like Matthews and Batum to guard him. Against teams at full strength, it might be tougher to sacrifice Matthews or Batum on the point guard, because then Lillard will likely have to guard a bigger and more skilled shooting guard. On Wednesday, the Blazers could switch and have Lillard check unheralded second-year guard Andre Roberson, who entered the game carrying a 1.9 scoring average in 40 career games.
If Jackson or Lamb were available Wednesday, or if this was Sunday's game against Golden State with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson ... Lillard's deficiencies wouldn't be as easy to hide.
In that respect, Lillard said he realizes the importance of his defensive development this season.
"It's a huge deal, because it's our next step,'' Lillard said. "Being a good defensive team is our next step, and I'm the point guard, and I most likely will have the biggest challenge on my hands every night. I'm not going to shy away from it.''
He noted that his foul trouble Wednesday - he picked up his second foul with 3:20 left in the first quarter - accelerated coach Terry Stotts' call to use other defenders, but he reiterated that he is not shying away from taking on any and every point guard.
"That's something I will embrace,'' Lillard said. "You know, I want to be a better defender.''
The first two possessions of Wednesday's game couldn't have been harder for those Blazers fans worrying whether Lillard had improved.
On the first Thunder possession, Westbrook got deep post position on Lillard and missed a close-range shot. But he got the offensive rebound and immediate layin.
The next possession, he caught Lillard in no-man's land and darted back door for a layin.
"The post up I played him strong,'' Lillard said. "When he turned to shoot he elbowed me and I thought they were going to call an offensive foul, so I kind of fell back a little bit ... Then the backdoor I was trying to keep him on one side of the floor ... so two good plays by him.''
Later in the first quarter, Westbrook posted Lillard again, and aware that Westbrook was dealing, Aldridge showed a quick double. Westbrook had good recognition and passed to Ibaka -- the man Aldridge left - and Ibaka hit a three-pointer for a 16-7 lead.
After Portland closed to within two, Westbrook again got post position on Lillard, albeit 18 feet from the basket. After getting the ball, he faced Lillard and immediately shot over him, banking in an 18-footer.
"It's tough, because he's always attacking and he's physical,'' Lillard said. "So it's easy to get a foul called on you if you are trying to be physical back with him. He has a great ability to just raise above you and shoot, or take you to the block.''
**
One of the luxuries of this Blazers team, which should help buy Lillard some time to develop defensively, is the versatility of the perimeter defenders.
If Lillard is being torched by a Tony Parker, or Chris Paul, or Curry, Stotts can send in Batum, Matthews or Blake to break the tempo, or throw the scorer off balance with some length (Batum), bulk (Matthews) or bulldog tenacity (Blake).
"It's unique,'' Matthews said. "You don't see too many teams that have that ability to send waves at people. Whether it's a point guard or a win, we have guys who can take that challenge. Nic has done it, I've done it, and you know Blake isn't backing down from anybody.''
It will be interesting to see how Stotts picks his spots to send a different defender on the point guard. On Wednesday, he looked like a genius after putting Batum on Westbrook in the fourth quarter.
Of course, Oklahoma City coach Scotty Brooks might have played the Blazers' best defense of the second half, keeping Westbrook on the bench for the last 3:11 of the third quarter and the first 3:20 of the fourth quarter.
But Batum, who has a long history in Portland of guarding point guards late in games, made an impact. Westbrook went 1-for-6 in the final quarter and Batum made the signature play of the game, denying Westbrook a pass near halfcourt, which he turned into a steal and an alley-oop pass that Aldridge dunked for a 93-83 lead.
"That's kind of been my job since I got here ... guard the best player,'' Batum said. "Tonight I had to do it, he was taking over the game.''
Batum, who usually spends his Thunder games checking Kevin Durant, knew on Wednesday he eventually would end up on Westbrook.
"Dame got two fouls, then Wes got two fouls ... it was my turn,'' Batum said. "So I tried to make him work, tried to push him to his weakness, if there is one, and I think he got tired. That's why I got success at the end.''
Batum noted that the Blazers system is like any good NBA defense in that it's not predicated on individual play as much as team play.
"You can't guard him by yourself,'' Batum said.
Batum said Westbrook is entering an elite class of offensive player. Because of his size (6-3, 200 pounds), strength, speed and leaping ability, Westbrook is rivaled only by a few.
"He's so strong and fast and he can jump and dunk on everybody,'' Batum said. "LeBron can do that, Paul George can do that, K.D. can do that ... But (Westbrook) is a point guard. That's the difference from the other guys. He's the only point guard that can do that with Dame.''
**
I've been working on a story about Lillard, examining his rise to stardom and how he has become the most marketed athlete ever in the Portland sporting scene.
There's something about the kid that makes him likeable, believable and easy to relate to.
Before I got the arena, I got a text from his agent, Aaron Goodwin. One sentence stood out:
"When the lights come on,'' Goodwin wrote, "he glows.''
It made me think of Game 6 and The Shot. It made me think of those game-winning threes in Detroit and Cleveland last season.
But on opening night, one of the biggest and brightest nights of the season, Lillard wasn't glowing. In fact, he was hardly noticeable.
Then, all the newness, all the pomp and circumstance of opening night had worn off, and this became an important Northwest Division game that was up for grabs. Entering the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City led 77-75.
Then, boom!
Lillard for three to give Portland an 81-77 lead.
Then a Lillard steal that led to a Chris Kaman basket.
Then with the crowd holding its breath with the ball in the air, he nailed another three-pointer to put Portland up 89-81.
Lillard, as he has so often in big moments, was glowing.
So how does he do it?
"I don't fear,'' Lillard said. "I feel like next to his big guy here, L.A., I have to come through for this team. And I'm not afraid of that either, just like I'm not afraid of having to guard all these point guards. That moment is something I'm not afraid of.
"I knew tonight based on how the game was going ... I knew it would be (a close) fourth quarter and I could clear my mind of everything else and take advantage of what was in front of me,'' Lillard said. "And that's what I did.''
His final line: 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, with five assists, one turnover, one steal and one drawn charge in 30 foul-plagued minutes. He categorized it as an "OK" game.
"I found a way to stay involved, found a way to help the team pull through,'' Lillard said.
As a result, the man who "glows" made the darkening arrival of autumn seem a little more welcoming for Rip City.
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/29/-bb28c5a2471d92e8.jpg
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and the team head to the court as The Portland Trail Blazers face the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Moda Center.
The most important subplot to the Trail Blazers season is how much this team has improved defensively, and no player will be under the magnifying glass more than point guard Damian Lillard.
After Wednesday's season-opening 106-89 victory over Oklahoma City, Lillard has to be feeling the heat.
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook had 38 points and six assists and was the most dominant player on the court. He posted Lillard. He duped him backdoor for a layin. And he shot over him. Along the way, he put the Blazers' rising star in foul trouble.
The other end wasn't much better. Lillard went scoreless in the first half and missed his first six shots before a making a driving layin two minutes into the second half.
"There's going to be nights like that,'' Lillard said. "It just happened to be my first game.''
But before anybody starts thumping the well-beaten drum that Lillard plays no defense, consider: Westbrook is one of the best point guards in the game, and he was effective against every defender the Blazers put in front of him, including Wesley Matthews, Nic Batum and Steve Blake - all considered better than average defenders.
"Even when I wasn't guarding him, he made really tough plays,'' Lillard said. "It's almost to the point where you have to respect his ability to get in the paint and make shots and finish. That's just the player he is.''
Lillard, I believe, will be a better defender this season, simply because he wants to be. Half the battle in being a good defender in the NBA is effort and will, and nobody can question that with Lillard.
"He's worked on it all preseason,'' LaMarcus Aldridge said. "He has showed people that he is definitely trying to be better defensively, and he's given better effort. I think everybody is seeing that the effort is there. It 's just different when you go from being a scorer to learning how to do both. It just takes time. But he has always been an overly competitive guy who wants to do well on both ends.''
The Blazers got away with Westbrook having a huge night because the injury-depleted Thunder simply ran out of options. Without Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow, Westbrook took 26 shots, nearly one-third of the Thunder's attempts. Many of the Blazers players noted that Westbrook appeared to have tired late in the game.
The Thunder's lack of offensive weapons also allowed the Blazers to use wings like Matthews and Batum to guard him. Against teams at full strength, it might be tougher to sacrifice Matthews or Batum on the point guard, because then Lillard will likely have to guard a bigger and more skilled shooting guard. On Wednesday, the Blazers could switch and have Lillard check unheralded second-year guard Andre Roberson, who entered the game carrying a 1.9 scoring average in 40 career games.
If Jackson or Lamb were available Wednesday, or if this was Sunday's game against Golden State with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson ... Lillard's deficiencies wouldn't be as easy to hide.
In that respect, Lillard said he realizes the importance of his defensive development this season.
"It's a huge deal, because it's our next step,'' Lillard said. "Being a good defensive team is our next step, and I'm the point guard, and I most likely will have the biggest challenge on my hands every night. I'm not going to shy away from it.''
He noted that his foul trouble Wednesday - he picked up his second foul with 3:20 left in the first quarter - accelerated coach Terry Stotts' call to use other defenders, but he reiterated that he is not shying away from taking on any and every point guard.
"That's something I will embrace,'' Lillard said. "You know, I want to be a better defender.''
The first two possessions of Wednesday's game couldn't have been harder for those Blazers fans worrying whether Lillard had improved.
On the first Thunder possession, Westbrook got deep post position on Lillard and missed a close-range shot. But he got the offensive rebound and immediate layin.
The next possession, he caught Lillard in no-man's land and darted back door for a layin.
"The post up I played him strong,'' Lillard said. "When he turned to shoot he elbowed me and I thought they were going to call an offensive foul, so I kind of fell back a little bit ... Then the backdoor I was trying to keep him on one side of the floor ... so two good plays by him.''
Later in the first quarter, Westbrook posted Lillard again, and aware that Westbrook was dealing, Aldridge showed a quick double. Westbrook had good recognition and passed to Ibaka -- the man Aldridge left - and Ibaka hit a three-pointer for a 16-7 lead.
After Portland closed to within two, Westbrook again got post position on Lillard, albeit 18 feet from the basket. After getting the ball, he faced Lillard and immediately shot over him, banking in an 18-footer.
"It's tough, because he's always attacking and he's physical,'' Lillard said. "So it's easy to get a foul called on you if you are trying to be physical back with him. He has a great ability to just raise above you and shoot, or take you to the block.''
**
One of the luxuries of this Blazers team, which should help buy Lillard some time to develop defensively, is the versatility of the perimeter defenders.
If Lillard is being torched by a Tony Parker, or Chris Paul, or Curry, Stotts can send in Batum, Matthews or Blake to break the tempo, or throw the scorer off balance with some length (Batum), bulk (Matthews) or bulldog tenacity (Blake).
"It's unique,'' Matthews said. "You don't see too many teams that have that ability to send waves at people. Whether it's a point guard or a win, we have guys who can take that challenge. Nic has done it, I've done it, and you know Blake isn't backing down from anybody.''
It will be interesting to see how Stotts picks his spots to send a different defender on the point guard. On Wednesday, he looked like a genius after putting Batum on Westbrook in the fourth quarter.
Of course, Oklahoma City coach Scotty Brooks might have played the Blazers' best defense of the second half, keeping Westbrook on the bench for the last 3:11 of the third quarter and the first 3:20 of the fourth quarter.
But Batum, who has a long history in Portland of guarding point guards late in games, made an impact. Westbrook went 1-for-6 in the final quarter and Batum made the signature play of the game, denying Westbrook a pass near halfcourt, which he turned into a steal and an alley-oop pass that Aldridge dunked for a 93-83 lead.
"That's kind of been my job since I got here ... guard the best player,'' Batum said. "Tonight I had to do it, he was taking over the game.''
Batum, who usually spends his Thunder games checking Kevin Durant, knew on Wednesday he eventually would end up on Westbrook.
"Dame got two fouls, then Wes got two fouls ... it was my turn,'' Batum said. "So I tried to make him work, tried to push him to his weakness, if there is one, and I think he got tired. That's why I got success at the end.''
Batum noted that the Blazers system is like any good NBA defense in that it's not predicated on individual play as much as team play.
"You can't guard him by yourself,'' Batum said.
Batum said Westbrook is entering an elite class of offensive player. Because of his size (6-3, 200 pounds), strength, speed and leaping ability, Westbrook is rivaled only by a few.
"He's so strong and fast and he can jump and dunk on everybody,'' Batum said. "LeBron can do that, Paul George can do that, K.D. can do that ... But (Westbrook) is a point guard. That's the difference from the other guys. He's the only point guard that can do that with Dame.''
**
I've been working on a story about Lillard, examining his rise to stardom and how he has become the most marketed athlete ever in the Portland sporting scene.
There's something about the kid that makes him likeable, believable and easy to relate to.
Before I got the arena, I got a text from his agent, Aaron Goodwin. One sentence stood out:
"When the lights come on,'' Goodwin wrote, "he glows.''
It made me think of Game 6 and The Shot. It made me think of those game-winning threes in Detroit and Cleveland last season.
But on opening night, one of the biggest and brightest nights of the season, Lillard wasn't glowing. In fact, he was hardly noticeable.
Then, all the newness, all the pomp and circumstance of opening night had worn off, and this became an important Northwest Division game that was up for grabs. Entering the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City led 77-75.
Then, boom!
Lillard for three to give Portland an 81-77 lead.
Then a Lillard steal that led to a Chris Kaman basket.
Then with the crowd holding its breath with the ball in the air, he nailed another three-pointer to put Portland up 89-81.
Lillard, as he has so often in big moments, was glowing.
So how does he do it?
"I don't fear,'' Lillard said. "I feel like next to his big guy here, L.A., I have to come through for this team. And I'm not afraid of that either, just like I'm not afraid of having to guard all these point guards. That moment is something I'm not afraid of.
"I knew tonight based on how the game was going ... I knew it would be (a close) fourth quarter and I could clear my mind of everything else and take advantage of what was in front of me,'' Lillard said. "And that's what I did.''
His final line: 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, with five assists, one turnover, one steal and one drawn charge in 30 foul-plagued minutes. He categorized it as an "OK" game.
"I found a way to stay involved, found a way to help the team pull through,'' Lillard said.
As a result, the man who "glows" made the darkening arrival of autumn seem a little more welcoming for Rip City.