Nba: Lillard stays in Portland, for now … “We’ll find out the truth soon”

So, is Lillard staying in Portland in the end? Yes, but the answer needs to be elaborated more than that. It remains for now, the season as pack leader of the Blazers will begin, but his future remains full of unknowns, despite the compass of a contract that binds him to the Oregon franchise at least until 2024. The 31-year-old guard got married in the summer and has won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Then he returned home to Portland, his only home so far in the NBA, since 2012, when the Blazers chose him in the draft from the off-map college of Weber State. For the first time since then post-season he had asked for reinforcements to stay: time is running out, he is no longer a kid and he wants to have the chance to win. They didn’t arrive, but the Coach has changed. Via Stotts, here is Chauncey Billups, by your request. For now it was enough to get rid of the stomach ache. A substitute for Maalox. But will it be enough, looking ahead?

THE WORDS OF DAME

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At Media Day in Portland he spoke at length, without slaloming on the question that everyone is concerned about: will his future still be in Rip City? “If you are who you say you are, and you show it all the time, you don’t have to worry about what people say, you just keep being yourself.” They would seem reassuring words, especially if combined with these: “We made moves that I liked, I expect an improvement in defense with the new staff. I didn’t think we could suddenly bring Kevin Durant here, but I think the talks we had with the management were genuine and that we are all moving in the right direction, to give us an opportunity for success. We have been competitive for years, but at the end of last season I wanted to see the staff improve, and we made progress ”. He speaks well of Larry Nance, in particular, mentions Tony Snell and Ben McLemore, the other new arrivals along with Cody Zeller, but then adds: “We will soon find out the truth”. And since the truth is that better players have left, Melo Anthony to Enes Kanter, above all, as well as Zach Collins and Harry Giles, here things may not go smoothly. Also because he adds that during the Olympic adventure with Team USA he talked a lot with Dray Green, Durant and Zach LaVine, realizing that many want to “see him win”. And Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, WNBA stars he attended, made him want to win a title even more – they racked up a lot. Di Billups explains that the “new voices” of the renewed technical staff can become a plus. In short, for now he is satisfied with the change of coach, but that “soon we will see”, as proof, does not sound reassuring.

THE WORDS OF OLSHEY

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The General Manager, who covered Norman Powell in gold in the summer, who was not even the owner in Toronto, signing him for 90 million for the next 5 years, compares Lillard to Billups, reveals Dame, as players. For leadership, as well as for the shots taken and scored with the game in the balance. Olshey highlights the successful operation to please his star: “We have hired a great coach, the players are excited about him.” Because otherwise he plays defense, after a failed market. “We will never think of exchanging Lillard, the franchise rock”. On his pressures, he says: “We are on the same page, on a competitive level”. In short, for Olshey Dame he only wanted to make sure that the whole organization shared a sense of urgency, in terms of results to be obtained in the short term. “When Lillard says he’s in (the project) he really is. He’s excited, he wants to be here ”. And he hopes to be able to say the same at the end of the season as well. But that remains to be seen.