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Ex NBA Vet Believe This Is What Is Underrated About Damian Lillard’s Game

 

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In the past, Damian Lillard has been very vocal about being snubbed in the 2015 All-Star Game. When the roster was released Damian Lillard name wasn’t on the list, but Kobe Bryant due to an injury. Had to give up his roster spot, and there was chance Lillard could replace, but instead, the NBA named Sacramento Kings’ center DeMarcus Cousins as Kobe’s replacement, according to The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones.

Lillard would respond on Instagram with a caption that read:

I just want to thank the coaches who feel I wasn’t good enough, the fans that didn’t think I was good enough and Adam Silver also for not thinking I was good enough. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for me, it’s actually what my life has been inspired by. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed or that I don’t feel disrespected but it’s not too much to handle. Not the first or last guy to be snubbed. ‘You should have been there’ isn’t good enough for me. But anyway, the reason I’m in these shoes is because I’ve always used the hand I was dealt to my advantage… A wise man once told me… ‘It ain’t always gone be peaches and cream but somebody has to pay for the reason it’s not … One way or another’ … #ImThankful #Real #NonAllStar#RipCity #YellowTape

Lillard would later delete the post, but it came after he already shared with The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman, that he wasn’t happy with being snubbed.

I’m definitely going to take it personal. I said I’d be pissed off about it. And I am. I just felt disrespected. Because I play the game the right way, I play unselfishly, I play for my team to win games and I produce at a high level. I think what I bring to the game as a person, my makeup mentally, how I am toward my teammates, how I am toward the media, how I am toward fans; I think what an All-Star represents in this league, and what you would want people to look at as an All-Star, I think I make up all those things. For me to be having the type of season that I’m having, which is better than anyone that I’ve had before, and my team to be third in the Western Conference, I just see it as disrespect. I’m not one of those guys that’s going to say, ‘Oh, I should be in over this guy or that guy.’ I’m not a hater. I’ve got respect for each guy that made the roster. And I think they deserve to (make the team). But at the same time, I feel really disrespected, and that’s just honestly how I feel.

Recently Gilbert Arenas weighed-in on what is underrated about Lillard’s game.

His game is the most under-rated thing about his game. Society wants new and fresh something that sparks them. We as society doesn’t like consistency, we say we want consistency, but when it presents in front of us, we don’t appreciate it. We don’t appreciate someone going out there averaging 22, 23, 24, 23, 24, and 25.

Instead, we pretend it’s not happening. We want the guy that goes from 14 to 21 now that person is making an impact because his point average went up seven points. It is all about who is hot right now. For example, Dirk Nowitzki is the sixth-leading scorer in NBA History, but he doesn’t make the All-Decade team how is that possible?

Look at DeMarr DeRozan, he helped the Raptors back to relevancy, but since he lost to LeBron James every year, he isn’t mentioned either. Dirk has a lot most double the points as Carmelo, and Melo is on the Second All-Decade team. They are giving out awards based on their biased opinions, and it throws away the idea that things are authentic,” Arenas told me.

Gary Payton also recently weighed-in on Lillard’s game.

He is in a market that is not high like the Lakers and Boston. I think if he were in that type of market, he would be more recognizable and they don’t respect him. I got that same situation when I was in Seattle about the All-Star games, but now they are starting to pick him.

He is showing what he can do. He is an Oakland guy and is a dude that has a lot of toughness in him, and he is showing it. He made first-team last year, second team this year, and he is going to keep doing it. He’s got that swagger and that dog in him, but he is going to keep going at people. So, I don’t think anything is underrated. I think he is in a bad market.”

What do you think?

Written by Landon Buford

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