SB Nation Denver - 2012 NBA Draft: Damian Lillard Goes To Portland At No. 6 Overall

Damian Lillard Brings An 'A' Grade For Portland's 2012 NBA Draft On SB Nation

2012-06-29T16:52:43Z

Former Weber State point guard Damian Lillard flew off the draft board at No. 6 overall with the Portland Trail Blazers' first selection of the 2012 NBA Draft, and nearly everyone is feeling good about their picks. Meyers Leonard also joined the fray at No. 11, so those two lottery picks are the basis for any grade assigned to the Blazers. Tom Ziller of SB Nation released his 2012 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference teams, and Portland earned an "A" grade because he thinks Lillard will become a good pro:

Drafted Damian Lillard No. 6, drafted Meyers Leonard No. 11, sold No. 41 to Nets for cash

The Blazers filled two immediate needs at point guard and center, so alright! The question is whether either of them are any good. I tend to believe that Lillard will be a good pro because of his shooting ability. We'll see how he is as a passer; the canvas is pretty blank on that one, as it is for every small-conference scoring guard. Leonard looked like a disaster on draft night; he should fare a bit better on the court, provided he can get up to speed quickly on what space LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers' star, takes up. Because of the NBA learning curve and the vital positions these two rookies will be in, it could be a tough season for Portland. But the future looks brighter today. GRADE: A

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2012 NBA Draft Suits And Fashion: Damian Lillard Looked Quite Dapper On Draft Day

2012-06-29T14:30:28Z

On Thursday night, Weber State point guard Damian Lillard heard his name called with the No. 6 overall pick as he officially became a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. Not only did he look happy, he looked good. Tom Ziller of SB Nation put together a full 2012 NBA Draft Fashion recap, and Lillard ranked third for the night behind Terrence Ross (and his glorious bow tie) and Harrison Barnes. That's a pretty solid showing.

Lillard's new teammate and fellow draftee Meyers Leonard ranked dead last out of 16 players for his questionable look on draft night, so clearly the Blazers felt they had to balance out their fashion swag after grabbing the talented point guard with their top pick. Here is Lillard's look with Ziller's quick thoughts:

I feel like this might be a next-level suit right here. This is an Oakland suit. Like Oakland Oakland. This is quite possibly the beginning of Oakland fashion.

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2012 NBA Draft Results: Trail Blazers Select Damian Lillard With No. 6 Overall Pick

2012-06-29T00:06:32Z

Weber St. Wildcats point guard Damian Lillard is officially a member of the Portland Trail Blazers after they selected him with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. Lillard was considered a strong candidate to go in the first 10 picks, which is what happened by a considerable margin. Though he comes from a smaller school -- located in Ogden, UT -- Lillard worked his way into NBA consciousness last season and this spring.

Lillard had some strong workouts leading up to the draft, which helped him, and he was very productive as a senior for Weber State during the 2011-12 season. He increased his production in several major categories and averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He finished second in the NCAA in scoring and was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year.

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2012 NBA Mock Draft: PG Damian Lillard Is Headed To Portland, Toronto Or New Orleans

2012-06-28T17:56:19Z

Chad Ford of ESPN has released his latest and final 2012 NBA Mock Draft leading up to Thursday night's big event. According to Ford, PG Damian Lillard appears like a lock No. 6 with the Portland Trail Blazers:

Analysis: The Blazers need a point guard and a big man. They'll have an easy choice here if Drummond goes at No. 5. Lillard is a steady, athletic guard who can shoot the lights out and get to the rim. He had a stellar workout in Portland in front of Paul Allen that really sealed the deal.
Trade Scenarios: GM Neil Olshey told Portland reporters on Wednesday night that it's unlikely the team will trade either of its picks at Nos. 6 or 11.
Blazers' Big Board: 1. Damian Lillard 2. Dion Waiters 3. Andre Drummond

But if the Trail Blazers happen to pass on the dynamic point guard, Ford also foresees him getting strong consideration at No. 8 and No. 10 with the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Hornets both slotting Lillard high on their big boards at those spots.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

Damian Lillard Prepares For 2012 NBA Draft, 'License To Lillard' Is Revisited

2012-06-28T14:14:42Z

The 2012 NBA Draft will unfold on Thursday night, at there is no doubt that Damian Lillard has done everything in his power to make sure scouts and general managers know him well. After an impressive showing at the NBA Draft Combine and some great individual workouts for teams, the Weber State point guard is now expected to be picked somewhere in the top-10.

Mike Prada of SB Nation has taken a closer look at Lillard's rise -- everything from his Oakland roots to his "License to Lillard, Episode 1," a web video series designed to take people inside Lillard's preparation for the 2012 NBA Draft -- and there is plenty to like about the young scorer:

A look at the tape shows Lillard's potential in pick-and-roll situations. He's so strong shooting off the dribble that teams can't duck under the screen. If they try to go over or hedge screens hard, he's quick enough to turn the corner or split the trap. His floater is already very advanced for his age and, while he could still improve his ability to finish around the rim, he barrels into contact and gets to the free throw line often. He also gets really low to the ground when he dribbles, preventing teams from hacking away and forcing turnovers.

There aren't a ton of assists in there, to be fair, but there are a lot of smart passes...

The NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 28 starting at 5:00 p.m. MT on ESPN.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

2012 NBA Mock Draft: PG Damian Lillard Goes To Portland At No. 6 In New Mock

2012-06-28T13:30:07Z

NBADraft.net has long been a go-to website for draftniks, and the site's latest mock draft has Weber State point guard Damian Lillard going No. 6 to the Portland Trail Blazers. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Lillard was said to have a legendary open gym workout in Portland, and this is far from the first mock draft pegging the point guard to the Trail Blazers at No. 6.

Portland's decision would seem to come down to Lillard and UConn big man Andre Drummond. Drummond is thought to have more upside due to the jarring athleticism he possesses for a 7-footer. However, Drummond also has serious motor issues which contributed to an underwhelming freshman year for the Huskies. The Blazers also hold the No. 11 pick, and are expected to come away with a point guard and big man when the first round ends.

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2012 NBA Draft: Damian Lillard Speaks With Media In NYC

2012-06-27T22:12:37Z

In anticipation of Thursday's NBA Draft, top prospect Damian Lillard met with members of the media at the Westin Hotel in New York City to discuss a variety of draft-related topics. He was one of just 12 players invited to the sessions, a strong reflection of how his draft stock has improved league-wide over the past few months.

Over at Blazers Edge, SB Nation's Mike Prada has transcribed part of the interview, which includes some nice tidbits about how Lillard views himself as a player, among other things. One of those topics is how he'd fit in with the Portland Trail Blazers, and he seemed excited by the possibility:

I think I would fit well. They have an All-Star post in LaMarcus Aldridge. He's going to demand a double team. I would be able to play off of him, when he's the man in the double team. It's good to be able to knock down shots, a threat if they want to double you can make him pay.

While Lillard has the reputation of a score-first guard after scoring nearly 25 points per game at Weber State, he's also excited to show NBA teams that he's capable of running an offense after being the primary scoring option at a smal school:

Naturally, I look to make plays for other people, but at Weber State, my responsibility was to score points. That's what my team needed me to do to win games. I'm definitely a scorer. I'm not saying I'm not a scorer. But I'm comfortable making plays for other guys.

While numerous teams around the league could really use a perimeter player that can handle the ball, set up teammates and score on his own when necessary, Lillard has no expectations about his role upon entering the league. He'll be fine whether he's starting early or not:

I haven't really thought about coming in and starting. I realize that there's a lot of guys who are respected in the league, established. I'm coming in as a rookie. All I want to come in and do is work my way on to the floor. Earn some minutes. If that leads to me starting, so be it. I'm always working on my game so if I'm in a position where I need to start, I'll be ready.

At the moment, mock drafts have Lillard going as high as No. 6 overall to Portland, with few mocks seeing him any lower than No. 10 overall to New Orleans.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.

2012 NBA Mock Draft: David Aldridge Sees Damian Lillard To Golden State

2012-06-27T21:18:23Z

Weber State point guard Damian Lillard heads to the Golden State Warriors with the No. 7 overall pick in the mock draft from David Aldridge of NBA.com. Golden State hasn't been tied to Lillard much given the presence of another young scoring guard there, but Aldridge doesn't think that should stop the Warriors:

He's come on strong in the last month to become the consensus top pick at point guard. Yes, the Warriors have Steph Curry, but Curry's injuries the last two years have to give Golden State pause. The Warriors have a big man need, but none of them is good enough to take here. The one who could be, Andre Drummond, is just too big a risk at this point.

Curry is considered the cornerstone of Golden State's present-day roster, but he does have the injury questions that Aldridge mentions. He only missed eight games during the 2010-2011 season, but he sat out 40 of the team's 66 games during this year's abbreviated season. Still, it would admittedly be a surprise if Lillard goes to Golden State.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA news hub.