Most headines today about the Golden State Warriors – Portland Trail Blazers series might be about how Damian Lillard has been mediocre in the Western Conference Finals thus far.
Blazers big man Meyers Leonard was having none of it. He defended his All-NBA point guard and added that they have to be better in finding ways to get him and C.J. McCollum better looks in Game 4, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
“I'm tired of hearing people say that Dame hasn't stepped up,” said Blazers center Meyers Leonard, who scored 16 points in his first start of the playoffs. “No. Wrong. He's our leader. He's a damn good player. He's a first-team All-NBA player this year, and other guys have to be willing to screen. They have to be willing to execute, make plays and help them out and loosen up the defense. So that way, when [Lillard and CJ McCollum] do get some looks, they can knock them down. It's as simple as that.”
Seems like the perfect plan. And it seems like it's easier said than done, too.
The Warriors have done a tremendous job on keeping Lillard in check, holding him to just 20.3 points per game and 32.6 percent shooting so far in this series.
Golden State's taller defenders have clearly been bothersome for Lillard, as seen with his shooting struggles, not just from deep, but also inside the paint on layup attempts.
Surely, the reports that Lillard has been playing through a rib injury since Game 2 does not bode well for RIP City moving forward.
The Blazers are now just one loss away from from the end of what has been a Cinderella run so far.
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