“It’s very impressive,” said second-year point guard Nolan Smith. “I get to practice against it every day, so I get to see it head on. Knowing his demeanor – the way he attacks every single game with so much confidence – he’s become our leader. He takes big shots and he makes big shots. He’s just that good.
“He’s just a cool, laid-back guy at all times and you can tell when it translates onto the court,” continued Smith. “He’s never nervous. He’s never too excited. He’s mid-level and he goes and plays his game.”
So when the Blazers head into a match-up with Melo and the New York Knicks and Anthony explodes for 45 points, with Amar’e Stoudemire’s making his long-anticipated season debut and while he’s set to meet and match up with fellow Oakland legend Jason Kidd, it’s just another day in the life for Lillard, who capped a 21 point (9-19 FG, 2-8 3FG), 6 assist and 5 rebound game with a double through-the-legs step back in Knicks reserve PG Pablo Prigioni’s face as the shot clock was winding down:
“We had the lead,” said Lillard. “We was up three and we wanted to flatten them out and run out as much time and get a quality look. I was able to get him on his heels and get a good look at the rim and even if it didn’t go in it would’ve still been a two-possession game for us. They would have had to make a three and then we would’ve still had the ball last, so I wanted to separate us as much as I could and I was able to knock it down.”
The ball being in Damian Lillard’s hands at the end of the game isn’t a surprise anymore, especially to Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.
“He has risen to the occasion many times this season already,” said Stotts. “I wouldn’t put the ball in his hands if I didn’t expect him to be ready. I expect him to do things like that.”
It’s not just the clutch shots, step-back 3-pointers and frequent and effective forays to the rim that make Lillard a special player, though.
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Rather, it’s the way he manages the game.
It’s constantly paying attention to the subtle nuances, like making a perfectly timed pass to freeze the defense for that extra millisecond, in order to give his teammate an advantage once he receives the ball.
It’s having the ability and presence of mind to change speeds and directions when he realizes he has an advantage.
It’s bringing the ball up-court and realizing Nicolas Batum, an excellent outside shooter, is trailing the play and worthy of being dimed up for a wide open trey in transition.
It’s knowing that he’s faster than Jason Kidd, but also realizing there’s no help defense to prevent him from scoring another two points.
It’s making hustle plays like this to endear yourself to your team and fans alike:
It’s having the foresight to realize that drives to the rim will become more and more challenging as defenses learn to react to his strengths, and therefore developing a dependable arsenal of floaters and mid-range shots to combat the defenses every move.
It’s handling the media with both a sense of enjoyment that he’s in the position he’s in and with the classiness of a veteran, despite being 30 games into his rookie year.
More than anything, it’s Lillard’s willingness and awareness of the situation he’s in – that he cannot take the life he’s earned for himself for granted, and that he wants to keep improving for a long, long time to come.
“I need to grow,” Lillard joked as he stepped up onto his visiting locker’s seat to retrieve his earrings and belongings from the top shelf.
His height is probably leveled off at around 6-2, but as his basketball acumen and skill-set continue to expand, you can expect more and more people – not just from Portland – to adopt Damian Lillard as their point guard, and superstar, of choice.
BONUS: To learn more about Lillard and his journey to the NBA, check out his mini series entitled, “License to Lillard” that has received nearly 400,000 views on YouTube.
Jeremy Bauman is a blogger and columnist for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.