The Portland Trail Blazers snapped out of a difficult stretch on Monday by beating the Milwaukee Bucks, a much-needed win after dropping seven of their previous nine contests.
Throughout that slump, Damian Lillard – still recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered in last season’s playoffs – has taken on a mentorship role, offering guidance and perspective to Portland’s younger players, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“I told these dudes: this is the time when you find your true identity,” Lillard said.
“It’s not when you win a couple games and everything feels good. It’s in the moments when it would be easy to walk away – like now, we have some injuries, a rough patch, a tough schedule – but this is the time when you make a decision to march forward and up.”
Lillard has played 13 seasons for the Trail Blazers and Bucks. He has averaged 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 900 regular-season games.
He was selected to play in 9 All-Star games, and has won the Rookie of the Year award.
Northwest Notes: Kessler, Lillard, Thunder Collapses, Thunder Defense https://t.co/4P2ImPN97i pic.twitter.com/11xNcETjbT
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