Kyire Irving Describes What Makes Blazers' Damian Lillard So Difficult To Defend
The Blazers' Damian Lillard and the Cavs' Kyrie Irving are among the NBA's elite players, and it's widely believed that neither player has reached their peak. Lillard, 24, and Irving, 22, are both All-Stars and still growing.
In anticipation of the game, Irving described what makes Lillard such a tough player to defend:
"His pace and his jump shot, the way he creates space in such a short amount of time. He gets his shot off every time with consistency. Seeing his shot, the rotation on the ball every single time he shoots - it shows you he's been shooting for a while. He's been working on his craft. It was great to see."
Lillard has displayed the quick release that Irving mentions in several big moments in his three-year career. He became a household name last spring when he hit the Blazers' game-winning shot over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the playoffs. Lillard also beat the Cavaliers last year on a game-winning three-pointer, knocked down a difficult shot over the Pistons in 2013, and hit another game-winning three-pointer over New Orleans in 2012.
In an appearance on "Conan," Lillard said he honed his shooting skills as a kid by nailing milk crates to telephone poles and learning to shoot without a backboard.