Damian Lillard has had a tough season because of injuries. He has spent most of the season recovering from an abdominal injury, as his Portland Trailblazers blew up the team he last shared the floor with, including trading his close friend C.J. McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans.
With all the time away from playing, Lillard has been able to enjoy this season as a fan. He has shared his thoughts on the season multiple times, most recently advocating for Devin Booker to be awarded the MVP. Dame shows a lot of love to teams and players he enjoys. This includes the Memphis Grizzlies, which Dame has previously expressed admiration for.
During Game 4 between the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves, Lillard decided to share his thought about how Memphis has created this team via a tweet. The message was simple, and it gave the Grizzlies’ front office a lot of credit.
Memphis drafted they ass off
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 24, 2022
On the current Grizzlies team, 11 of the players have been discovered and drafted by the Grizzlies front office. The players that haven’t been are Steven Adams, Kyle Anderson, Jarrett Culver, and Tyus Jones. This is a remarkable feat that needs to be appreciated as the Grizzlies are not a free agent destination and need to find and develop talent to be successful.
Lillard and Grizzlies star Ja Morant share a close bond, as Lillard said he connects with Ja. In addition, Dame’s Portland Trailblazers almost missed the 2020 Playoffs because of the surprising rise of Morant’s Grizzlies in his rookie year. The bubble helped the veteran Portland team seal the eighth seed, but the Grizzlies led portland various times that season.
Dame will have to contend with this fearsome Grizzlies team next season as the underdog, with his Blazers team needing to work on the roster. But with a top pick in the draft this year, hopefully, Portland can create a roster that gives Lillard a genuine chance at competing in the playoffs.
