The Portland Trail Blazers knew Damian Lillard was going to be a killer in the NBA when they first scouted him as a sophomore at Weber State.
Former Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan, who scouted Lillard when he was playing in an Adidas invitation camp in Chicago, was blown away by what he saw from Lillard.
Via John Canzano of The Oregonian:
Buchanan, now general manager of the Indiana Pacers, declined comment for this piece. But The Oregonian/OregonLive obtained scouting notes that frame the franchise’s first impressions of Lillard.
They include phrases such as, “Zero Fear.” And “not afraid of more established players.” And, “attacked players from more elite schools.”
The Blazers drafted Lillard with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and the rest is history.
Lillard has established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. He has career averages of 23.5 points and 6.3 assists and made the All-Star team four times.
This season, Lillard passed LaMarcus Aldridge to become the second-leading scorer in Blazers franchise history. The 28-year-old just outplayed Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook in the first round of the playoffs.
Lillard averaged 33.0 points and scored 50 points in Game 5 to send the Thunder home.
Follow Us
Subscribe