The consensus heading into the 2012-2013 season was that phenom forward-center Anthony Davis would win the Rookie of the Year award. Not many realized that Damian Lillard would be as good as he proved to be.
Although the sixth overall pick impressed during Summer League action with 26.5 points, four rebounds and 5.3 assists, few believed that it would translate into the regular season, given the presence of LaMarcus Aldridge and the expected breakout of re-signed Nicolas Batum. Along with the presence of Wesley Matthews, Lillard was supposed to be the fourth option at best. Instead, the point guard forced himself into a bigger role and exceeded all expectations to take ROY honors.
[Related: Troll post on why Lillard should thank Anthony Davis and Monty Williams]
He worked relentlessly to become the player he is now, and the desire to be much more has him going even harder this summer. Lillard detailed what he could improve on and what he hopes to accomplish in the upcoming season, from Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld:
“Just keep working,” Lillard said. “There are always things you can improve on. After watching a lot of film, there’s a lot of stuff that I noticed myself that I can improve on. All my workouts are focusing on stuff I can get better at: floaters, different finishes around the rim when I get into the paint instead of challenging bigs all the time, ball-handling, tighten up my handle, get more shots up, try to get my percentage up, being in better shape, just stuff like that, all the small things that I can improve on.”
Because Lillard expects to improve in so many areas and is now completely adjusted to the NBA game, he’s anticipating a big 2013-14 season and setting some lofty goals for himself.
“First of all, I want to make the playoffs,” Lillard said. “This team probably doesn’t have the make-up of a championship team, but you still want to compete for one. We want to make the playoffs. I want to try and make the All-Star team. I want to be an All-NBA player. There’s a lot of stuff I want to do.”
Becoming an All-Star is almost synonymous with playing for a playoff team, and the Portland Trail Blazers will be hard-pressed to stay at .500, given how stacked the teams are out in the West, along with rumors involving Aldridge and his apparent desire to find a different team. Becoming an All-NBA player means Lillard will have to outplay the likes of Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Tony Parker and Chris Paul – just to name a few. Of course, having the desire to become something in the NBA and setting lofty goals is nothing new for a young player like Lillard. The difference between him and some of the other players – whose expectations greatly exceed their abilities sometimes – is that Lillard has already proven many doubters wrong about the kind of player he is and what he was supposed to be. If his impressive rookie season is of any indication, he could once again reach another level and force himself into the conversation of being an upper echelon point guard in the league – the way Curry did last season.
Onto other news from around the league:
Metta World Peace will change his name again (just not legally), from Ian Begley of ESPN New York: “Many Knicks fans have wondered if Metta World Peace will go back to his original name — Ron Artest — now that he’s back in New York. It looks like those fans may get their wish. World Peace said in a with ClevverNews that he plans to change his name this season, though not legally. “We are going to do do a name change, but I can’t tell you what it is,” World Peace told an interviewer with ClevverNews. World Peace added that he did not want to go through the process of changing his name legally again until he retires. “That’s too much work,” he said. So that means he will have “World Peace” on the back of his Knicks jersey this season, but may answer to another name. The New Yorker formerly known as Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in September 2011. He said at the time that he wanted to “inspire and bring youth together all around the world.”
- Gustavo Ayon has been waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Kennedy:
The Milwaukee Bucks have waived Gustavo Ayon.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 25, 2013