Despite only being in the early days of the new season, some players have already been able to showcase their improved skill sets. One of them is Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard, who has played solid basketball once again for his team, and showed that he worked on his defense during the offseason.

His efforts have not gone unnoticed, as his head coach, Terry Stotts, only has good words to say about his improvements on that facet of his game. He acknowledged how Lillard has been active in getting steals, which has helped them own a 2-1 record for the season so far.

Three games in, the two-time All-Star is averaging career-highs in both steals and blocks with 2.0 and 1.3 per game, respectively. It has been very evident when the Blazers are competing that Lillard is more focused this in trying to get more stops and give them extra possessions. He is also putting more effort in challenging shots, which explains his four rejections so far this year.

If Lillard will be able to sustain his aggression on the defensive end as the season progresses, it will be a huge boost to the Blazers’ chances of making a lot of noise in the Western Conference. It will also allow him to show how dedicated he is to continue his development as a player, and prove that there’s more to his game than just being a big time scorer.