Thanks for the motivation.
That was Damian Lillard’s final line in a television spot for Adidas that couldn’t have been more appropriate, given the way Lillard has been overlooked and undervalued time after time during his career.
The continued slights — from his being left off of the original USA Basketball roster for the Rio Olympics this summer (a slight since corrected) to his omission from the Western Conference All-Star team this season — only serve to fuel Lillard’s fire.
And in turn, he’s used that fire to guide the Portland Trail Blazers into the mix for a playoff spot as the stretch run of this season begins.
A six-game win-streak ended Thursday night against James Harden and the Houston Rockets, as did Lillard’s streak of five straight games scoring 30 or more points, a feat no other player in the league has matched this season.
But none of that will diminish what Lillard has done this season. He’s been the catalyst for a Portland team that was dismantled and reassembled on the fly over the summer. Starters LaMacus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez all departed (as did fill-in starter Arron Afflalo), either via free agency or by trade, leaving Lillard, the 2013 Kia Rookie of the Year, as literally the last man standing.
Portland general manager Neil Olshey bet on Lillard the same way he did when he drafted him out of Weber State. He surrounded him with an assortment of youngsters and role players — Lillard’s backcourt mate C.J. McCollum is the brightest rising young star of the bunch — and has watched this crew exceed all expectations.
“The plan was never to tank,” Olshey told ESPN.com recently. “Damian and C.J. and three guys from ClubSport could win 20 games. There was never going to be any bottoming out; there was going to be development. Our job was to make sure anyone who was on the floor had a long-term impact on this organization. That’s what we’ve done. We’ve brought in quality, undervalued players we believed would complement them, and they have begun to thrive in our system and our culture.”
That culture has been crafted around the underdog grind of Lillard, whose ability to raise his game this season is further proof of Olshey’s belief in his star point guard and face of the franchise.
Lillard put his stamp on that belief with a career-high 51 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Trail Blazers’ upset win over Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the first game after the All-Star break.
“Dame had it going early and he had it going late,” Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters after the game. “At the end it was just ridiculous.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr paid him the ultimate compliment when he said, “he was phenomenal, he looked like Steph Curry out there.”
His performance served not only as a personal statement for the Oakland native, but also a signal to the rest of the playoff-chasers in the Western Conference that Lillard and his crew were coming.
They’ve won 11 of of their past 13 games to revive their season and claw their way back into the mix. Portland appears to be built for the challenge that awaits, thanks mostly to the motivation of Lillard.
This week’s Top 10 in the Kia Race to the MVP:
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
What more do you need to see from the reigning KIA MVP? He shredded the Hawks for 36 points, eight assists and six rebounds Monday, ripped the Miami Heat for 42 points, seven assists and seven rebounds Wednesday and followed that up with 51 points, eight assists and seven rebounds Thursday night while also setting the NBA record for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer (128). His showing against the Magic marked his second game this month with 50-plus points and 10 3-pointers (he performed the feat on Feb. 3 against the Washington Wizards). The Warriors’ chase for 73 wins is a great storyline for the stretch run of this season, but could be overshadowed by Curry’s otherworldly season if he keeps it up.
2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Durant won’t have time to stew over the Thunder’s latest loss, in New Orleans Thursday night and their third in four games since the All-Star break, not with the Golden State Warriors coming to town Saturday night (8:30 ET, ABC). The Thunder lost the first matchup and will surely be out for revenge in OKC. And Durant certainly looked like ready for whatever challenges are to come with the way he played against the Pelicans (he finished with 32 points (on 13-for-23 shooting), 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks). Still, the Thunder should be worried that stellar performances from Durant and Russell Westbrook simply isn’t enough to carry this team every night. It certainly won’t be enough against the Warriors.
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
A brutal shooting night (5-for-18, 0-for-4 from deep) in a loss to Detroit Monday raised concerns about LeBron’s workload and perhaps a breakdown, of sorts, or one of the most durable players in NBA history. Those rumblings were put to rest two nights later, when LeBron logged eight fewer minutes and was his an efficient 8-for-13 from the floor (2-for-4 from long range) and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. All the loss to Detroit proved is that LeBron is human and that even he can have a night when his body simply doesn’t respond.
4. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Westbrook was at his furious best Thursday night in New Orleans, smashing his way to 44 points (on 15-for-25 shooting), nine assists, four rebounds and just two turnovers. And yet even with he and Kevin Durant combining for 76 points, the Thunder still couldn’t get the job done against the Pelicans. Lucky for Westbrook, the Warriors are coming to town Saturday night providing him and OKC a chance to redeem themselves after a sluggish start to the stretch run of this season. If the Thunder fancy themselves true championship contenders, they’ll need to show it on the big stage against the Warriors.
5. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
The definition of a true leader is what Paul is doing for the Clippers these days. He’s playing through pain (thigh) and refusing to let his team fall off the pace in the Western Conference standings. In four games since the All-Star break, he is averaging 21.3 points, shooting 50 percent overall (and 42 percent on 3-pointers), to go along with 10.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and just 1.5 turnovers. It’s work that Paul does routinely, but it’s particularly remarkable given the adversity the Clippers have dealt with this season. Coach Doc Rivers needs for Paul to keep this up, since he’s admitted that he has no idea when Blake Griffin will return to the lineup.
6. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Last week’s ranking: Not ranked
Lillard fueled the Trail Blazers’ six-game win streak that ended Thursday night against Houston and James Harden by scoring 30 or more points in five straight games, including that 51-point masterpiece in the upset win over the Golden State Warriors. He’s on a 10-game roll that has seen him average 28.4 points, 7.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He might have missed out on being selected for the Western Conference All-Star team, but Lillard’s revenge could be leading an underrated and overlooked Trail Blazers team to a playoff berth. They are in the hunt thanks to the leadership and play of the last man standing after the franchise’s summer overhaul.
7. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Leonard’s absence from the lineup was felt in the Spurs’ first game after the All-Star break, a 106-85 thumping at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers. They didn’t miss a beat in wins over the Lakers and Phoenix Suns but welcomed Leonard back for Wednesday’s pasting of the Sacramento Kings. Leonard didn’t shoot it particularly well in his return (5-for-16 from the floor) but did make his presence felt all over the floor, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals. As complete a team as the Spurs are, they need Leonard at his attacking best down the stretch of this season they’re going to chase the Golden State Warriors for that top spot in the standings (as if coach Gregg Popovich cares).
8. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Green has been at his efficient best since leaving his first All-Star weekend as a participant in the big game. With “Splash Brothers” Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on an absolute scoring tear since the break, the Warriors haven’t needed Green to worry about his offense (which is a good thing since his stroke from deep, 16.7 percent, didn’t make it out of Toronto). That said, Green is averaging 12.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.4 steals and is shooting 51 percent shooting in the five games since the All-Star break. Green was at his human jackknife best in Thursday’s win in Orlando, finishing with 12 points, eight assists, five steals and four rebounds.
9. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Lowry and the Raptors have been licking their chops in anticipation of tonight’s showdown of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams at the Air Canada Centre (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass). Lowry’s been at his best in two previous matches against LeBron James and his crew, averaging 25 points on 60 percent shooting, 8.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals. Lowry warmed up for tonight’s game by dropping a triple-double (22 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), his first of the season, on the New York Knicks Monday. He followed that up with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds Wednesday in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. You better believe he’ll be cranked up for the Cavs in front of that raucous home crowd.
10. Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
If you assumed George would cool off after his 41-point effort in the All-Star Game, you’d have assumed terribly wrong. The Pacers’ swingman (yes, he’s back to being a swingman these days with the emergence of rookie Myles Turner) is still rolling. In four game since the break, George is averaging 25 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.3 steals for a Pacers team that is in the thick of the chase for a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. And even when things aren’t going his way (he was 0-for-7 from 3-point range in Wednesday’s win over the Knicks), George finds a way to make an impact. He scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half and also finished with seven rebounds and six assists.
Others receiving consideration: Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics; Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat; Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors; Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans; Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
Sekou Smith is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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