Last season, the Portland Trail Blazers suffered arguably the most disappointing letdown in franchise history as they were swept by the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs.
This remains etched in the memory of Blazers superstar Damian Lillard, but as he explained, he is extremely proud of how his team has responded this year following the unceremonious conclusion of their previous season:
“I’m always a believer in our group,” Lillard said, via Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “Last year we were playing really well, we were winning a lot of games, and we get to the postseason and have a huge letdown. I’m really excited because of how we responded to that experience. You would think that we would come back and have more of a situation like [what happened] in New Orleans, then coming back and backing up our performance from last year. I think it’s going to pay off for us in the long run.”
Lillard went on to point out that the additions they have made to their squad has been pivotal to their success:
“We’ve added pieces that complement what we do,” Lillard said. “As much as we are the same team, we’ve added stuff that made us a better team. Things have to be done by committee. Me and CJ, we have to do what we do. Nurk has to do what he does. But when we get that great group effort, when everyone comes in and does their jobs, that’s when we are at our best. That’s what’s happening right now.”
The Blazers are currently 38-23 and sitting in the fourth spot of an overly competitive Western Conference. They have been looking really good all season long, and all signs are pointing to a much better performance this postseason than they had in the previous year.
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