'Welcome to the NBA': Damian Lillard recalls how Goran Dragic outplayed him in his rookie season / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AFP – Scanpix Credit AFP – Scanpix

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard answered a series of questions from the fans on Reddit. The point guard remembered how hard it was for him in his rookie season to play against Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, who gave him a very tough 'welcome to the NBA'.

Goran Dragic

Team:Toronto RaptorsPosition:PG, SGAge:35Height:191 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Ljubljana, SloveniaProfileNewsStatistics

"I'd say that my 'welcome to the NBA' moment was in my rookie year during the preseason. We were playing at Phoenix, and Goran Dragic was the starting point guard for the Suns", Lillard recalled.

"Obviously, I knew Goran, I had seen him playing multiple times, but I didn't look at him like he was Chris Paul or Derrick Rose, the top point guards at that time. So I didn't know how it was gonna be like playing against Goran", Lillard continued.

"When I got out there, he was running out pick and rolls, making three-pointers, getting to the rim, he was just killing me," the Trail Blazers star remembered. "It was the first time in my life that I felt lost out there. I couldn't keep in front of me at times. It was just a lot to handle".

So, for Damian Lillard, the first taste of the NBA against Goran Dragic was definitely not an easy time.

Dragic, who won the Most Improved Player of the Year award in Phoenix in 2014, is playing with the Toronto Raptors this season but he's currently away from the team to deal with some family issues.

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