Damian Lillard sought to take a mental break from basketball while recovering physically from the core surgery he underwent on Jan. 13.
That involved avoiding broadcasts of Portland Trail Blazers games and relaxing at home with his family. Doing so, Lillard said, would make it easier for the competitor in him to handle being away from the court and his team.
But the performances of two players Lillard has mentored, Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little, made it difficult for Lillard to keep his television off during the team’s recent six-game trip.
“I haven’t been able to stop watching, for that reason,” Lillard said. “So, it’s tough to watch as a competitor, but it’s been fun to watch, too.”
Lillard, who last played during a loss at Los Angeles on Jan. 31, said he has gotten a lot of entertainment out of watching Simons and Little grow as players. The Blazers are 7-4 since Lillard left the lineup on Jan. 2, which includes a 4-2 record on the trip the team just returned from.
In January, Simons, a first-round pick in 2018, is averaging 25.0 points and 7.2 assists, and Little, a first-round pick in 2019, is averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. The scoring averages are the most for both players for any month in their careers.
Lillard takes pride in their development because he had a hand in their growth and he has always believed in their potential. He joked Saturday at the team’s practice facility that maybe he could one day become a general manager given his assessment of the pair when they arrived in Portland as teenagers.
“I knew their talent level, and I knew that they could be pieces that could make us make that leap at some point,” said Lillard, who will be reevaluated in five weeks.
Both Little and Simons said they appreciate Lillard’s interest in their improved play for the Blazers (20-26) who return home Tuesday to host Minnesota.
“This isn’t a matter of him riding a wave of me playing well and now he’s saying all this type of stuff,” Little said. “Dame has genuinely believed in me from day one since I got into the league. So, I appreciate that. He’s just been a guy that I can just talk to and bounce my ideas off and tell how I’m feeling, what I’m seeing on the court. He’s just helped me try to see the game in a different way. So, I’m very appreciative of him and his support for me.”
For years, Lillard and CJ McCollum have praised Simons’ practice exploits. Fans rarely saw them on full display because he has played limited minutes over the years. But Simons is off to the best start of his career this season, in large part because coach Chauncey Billups committed to making him the Blazers’ backup point guard and challenged him to become a playmaker.
“I’ve always known it was there,” Lillard said. “How capable he is and the talent level and the demeanor. Who he is as a person ... It takes time in this league, especially when you don’t have the most opportunity all the time. So, I’m super proud of him.”
Simons has had to evolve the last 11 games while running the team in Lillard’s absence. Billups told him that teams were going to scheme for him differently as the starting point guard. That reality hit warp speed after he scored a career-high 43 points in a win over Atlanta.
Each step of the way, Simons has answered the call. But there have been some hiccups along the way. He managed just 14 points in a loss to Cleveland. He went 2 of 11 from three-point range in a win over Brooklyn. Simons and his teammates struggled in the fourth quarter during Wednesday’s loss at Miami. He committed six turnovers in Sunday’s win at Toronto.
But Billups said he appreciates how Simons has overcome poor moments.
Even though Simons shot poorly against the Nets, he finished with a career-high 11 assists. He rebounded from that poor-shooting night two games later during a win at Washington, making 7 of 14 threes and recording 31 points and 11 assists. And on Sunday, despite committing six turnovers, he made two threes in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
Simons said that through this journey, Lillard has been there to lend his support.
“Sometimes he texts me after the game, sometimes he texts me at halftime,” Simons said. “He’s telling me, ‘Just stay aggressive. Do this, do that.’ He’s been telling me, ‘You’ve been playing well. And you need to keep growing and keep getting better in order for us to continue to build into something great.’ It’s been great having him in my corner to support me throughout this time of a new role and new opportunity.”
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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