Episode 9: Damian Lillard is recognizable again

For much of the summer, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard seemed unhappy. The Blazers were bounced early from the playoffs, Portland fired its coach and throughout the summer the 31-year-old guard and his NBA future were under the microscope.

“It was a really odd thing for everyone, including Dame because he’s usually so positive and inspiring and this was a different side of Damian that a lot of people hadn’t seen,” Quick said on this week’s I-5 Corridor podcast.

Yet as the Blazers began practice this week, The Athletic’s Jason Quick noticed something surprising. Lillard was happy, and Quick hasn’t been this energized to cover a season in years.

Jason Quick @jwquick

On the first day of training camp, Chauncey Billups began teaching the Blazers how he wants them to defend the pick-and-roll. “I like it. I like it a lot,” Damian Lillard said. “I actually love it,” Jusuf Nurkic said.

theathletic.comChauncey Billups and the nuances of pick-and-roll defense, Damian Lillard pacing himself: Blazers camp reportDuring his first practice as Portland’s coach, Chauncey Billups spared no detail in teaching the Blazers how to defend the pick-and-roll.

Listen above, or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to learn more about Lillard and the kind-of-new-look Blazers.

The Oregonian’s 2014 Oregon Ducks beat of Tyson Alger, Jason Quick and Andrew Greif.

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Podcast music by John Budnik Band.