Blazers get scoring point guard with No. 6 draft pick
The Portland Trail Blazers needed a point guard, and they think they got one with Damian Lillard of Weber State, who was drafted by the Blazers with the No. 6 pick of the first round of Thursday's NBA draft.
For a player from Weber State to be taken in the lottery, he has to have a lot going for him, and Lillard does. He is a scoring point guard, who averaged 24.5 points, which was second in the nation. He is a good penetrator who also has range on his jumper. He is strong, but quick, and is a smart, steady player who works hard.
Portland had two pick among the first 11 draft choices on Thursday for new Portland general manager Neil Oshey, who was the Clippers GM last season.
With the 11th pick, the Blazer took Illinois center Meyers Leonard.
But Lillard is the player who is expected to help immediately.
Whether he has the floor vision needed to be an NBA point guard is a question - he averaged just 2.9 assists, but, of course, he did not have the surrounding talent that most lof the other players taken in the lottery did.
He missed most of what would have been his junior year in 2010-2011 with a broken foot, but that is not an issue. The level of competition he faced in the Big West Conference does not compare with what other top draft choices saw regularly.
He reportedly convinced the Trail Blazers with an outstanding solo workout on June 15.
