Blazers’ Micah Nori on Damian Lillard: ‘He just pulls everything together’

Damian Lillard doesn’t have to score 30 points to make a defense uncomfortable. Sometimes, standing where everyone can see him is enough.

Blazers coach Micah Nori has a fairly expansive comparison for that effect.

“If you think of the solar system like you think of the sun, gravity and all that, that’s the way he is. He just pulls everything together,” Nori told reporters, via Sahal Arwo of Sports Illustrated.

The basketball explanation is simpler. Defenders don’t want to leave Lillard, and his teammates have more room to operate because of it.

“Guys don’t want to leave him, which opens up more people, which opens up more space,” Nori said. “And then when you have a guy like Deni, that can get himself downhill in the manner that he can, I think that it’s a perfect combination.”

That would be Deni Avdija, who supplied 21 points and 12 assists in Wednesday’s win over the Suns. Lillard scored 25, and the Blazers improved to 6-1 overall and 5-0 on the road.

At 36 and coming off an Achilles injury, Lillard is averaging 20.1 points in 29.7 minutes. Portland is finding value in having him command attention without needing him to handle every possession.

Nori made his feelings about Lillard’s shooting clear back on media day.

“The good thing is that he didn’t hurt his wrist or his elbow, because he doesn’t miss,” Nori said.

The early offensive improvement extends beyond Lillard’s numbers. As Arwo notes, the Blazers rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and fewest turnovers after finishing near the bottom in all three last season.

Nori is happy to let the players take the credit.

“I’m not trying to be overly humble, but I’m getting way too much credit for putting really good players in good positions,” he said. “That’s just playing them to their strengths. That’s all it is.”