Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard striving to come back stronger

The Portland Trail Blazers were on an absolute high after Damian Lillard sank the game-winning shot in his team’s dramatic first-round win against the Houston Rockets. Just as they were for much of the regular season, it seemed Portland was the NBA’s hot, new team.

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Then they were dominated 4-1 in the next round by the eventual champions, the San Antonio Spurs. According to The Oregonian’s Mike Tokito, Lillard said after the season that his legs didn’t feel energetic during the series. That’s why Lillard made this summer about making sure that wouldn’t happen again.

"“I did a lot of conditioning, a lot of lower body stuff in the weight room,” he said. “I think that was huge for me, just to make my lower body stronger, to be stronger over a longer season. I think last year I ran out of gas. Like I said before, my legs were really tired in the San Antonio series.”"

Now entering his third season in the NBA, Lillard is getting used to the increased workload that a player in the NBA goes through as oppose to one in college. First, you’re playing more 82 regular season games compared to just more than 20 in college. The games are longer, too.

It’s an adjustment every player has to make going into the league. Some players have the advantage of a veteran showing him the ropes, some don’t. One of the Trail Blazers’ greatest strengths last season was its youth, but that’s something that often becomes a weakness in the post-season.

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