[NCarmean18Participant]

 Tonight, rookie point guard Damian Lillard of Weber State and rookie center Meyers Leonard of Illinois will be suiting up for the first time as teammates tonight in their Summer League game against the New Orleans Hornets, who will be without #1 overall pick Anthony Davis, who is currently playing on the US Olympic team.  

So, my question is, how do you guys think these two will mesh as teammates in their first Summer League game?  Will Lillard look to kick the ball down low to the big, athletic Meyers Leonard?  Or will Damian do what he does best, and will he stretch the floor and create offense for himself?  

Whatever the case may be, I think these two will love playing with each other.  They have both been spending a lot of time together both on and off the court.  They have been practicing and working out together, but they have also been attending interviews and going out to dinner together.  They both signed their rookie contracts on the same day, as well.  

I think these two athletes will have a unique bond as best friends in Portland, and will serve as the future of this Trail Blazer franchise.  I’m really looking forward to watching them play together tonight, even though it is only their first Summer League game.  

 

[mj23mj23besteverParticipant]

 he is a score first type of pg which makes me think he will look too get his shot first in summer league

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

these two need to get a room if their gonna spend so much intimate time together!

[Cavaliers420Participant]

 Lillard is going to impress, I really feel like the kid can put the Ball in the basket at an amazing level. Hopefully he’s what the Blazers have been looking for. As for Leonard a lot of people said he was going to be a better prospect than Zeller so I’m excited to watch the two and see how each turns out considering they’re two totally different players.

[jiggawhatParticipant]

No offense UI fan but I’m not too high on Leonard. He’s got no basketball skills, he’s just big. 

[Steven]

 i cant wait for rivers to show his game! i say he drop 19!

[NCarmean18Participant]

 I wouldn’t say Leonard doesn’t have any basketball skills, not by a long shot.  I mean, he did drop 14 points a game on 58% shooting last year on a team that couldn’t even feed him the ball.  He’s raw offensively, sure.  However, he can step out an hit a mid-range jumper, and he also plays solid around the rim with his soft touch.  

I know he isn’t as polished as a Tyler Zeller, but if you think he’s just a big, athletic body "with no basketball skills", then you will be proven wrong, my good man.  

Another note, even if he’s big and athletic, those two qualities alone aren’t enough to get someone drafted with the 11th overall pick in a stacked NBA Draft.  His basketball skills have to count for something there.  

[jiggawhatParticipant]

 Miles Plumlee going 26th eliminates any credibility NBA GMs had

The stats he put up against the competition he faced were right in line with what I would expect someone as big and mobile as him to put up. 

We’ll see ultimately, but to me he never demonstrated the sort of skills an NBA center would need

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

 My former training partner is giving Rivers and the other Hornets guards work. Lillard balling. Surprised his jumper isn’t falling though, that’s the strongest part of his game

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

 And what skills would that be@jigga. He was drafted to rebound, hustle, defend how is that not a skill of a NBA center?  Jeff Forster, Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Anderson varajo etc. what do you expect out of a 26 pick, AllStar status?  He got picked by a playoff team and players picked that late in the first aren’t supposed to be great so I’m not sure why you are expecting more than what he can bring to the table

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Damian Lillard is freakin real lol he is really good, he shot alot of shots, but I loved how aggressive he was! He’s quicker than I thought,very explosive as well.

Austin Rivers is suppppperrrr quick, he didn’t play that well, but he’s gonna be a good one, I knew he was quick but man…..

 

[OldSkoolBasketballParticipant]

Leonard is really active. Lillard played well in the 2nd half. That step back three over Rivers was filthy. 

[JoeJoParticipant]

 Lillard was very good.  His quickness and skill level are legit.  Even though the competition he went up against in college was substandard, his quickness and touch around the basket were evident.

Meyers’ overall toughness and motor were impressive.  He put his athleticism and size to good work.

Rivers was pretty disappointing.  He’s quick but I think he negates his quickness by being such a short strider.  It’s very odd.  I can’t recall any player striding as short as Rivers does.  He has to go at his maximum speed to penetrate that he can’t take in the awaiting defense at the basket.  He’s definitely his own man; despite having a NBA coach for a dad and being around NBA players, his shooting mechanics and dribble drive technique are very much his own.

[JoeJoParticipant]

 Another thing about Rivers, I think the complaints about players nowadays no longer having mid-range games are wrong but it’s very true about Rivers.  It’s almost completely non-existent to a degree I’ve never seen before.  I don’t think he hit a single mid-range jumper at Duke last year and that means he was something like 0/4.  I like high true shooting percentages as much as the next random guy so I like a player who largely focuses on taking it to the basket and shooting threes but Rivers isn’t good enough at either to have such extremes in his game.  When he struggles, it really makes him look like he’s forcing it.

[Author]

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