Lillard's veteran leadership is invaluable for a team that lost their head coach after just one game.
After Damian Lillard returned to the Portland Trail Blazers, Chauncey Billups jokingly referred to him as "the highest-paid assistant coach in history." Well, it turns out Billups may have had an ace up his sleeve, coaching the Blazers for just one game before being placed on immediate leave amid federal indictments.
Unexpectedly losing your head coach that early into the season under those circumstances risks disaster for any team, but especially a young Blazers roster coming off a 36-win season.