Blazers Media Day: Aldridge to Stay, Lopez is Weird, Lillard’s Diet

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Andrew Tonry, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Damian Lillard is still eating fruit. Photo Credit: Andrew R. Tonry

LaMarcus Aldridge said he plans to stay in Portland, but doesn't really want to talk about it.

Plus, Damian Lillard changes his diet, and while Chris Kaman has some strange shoes, RoLo is still even weirder.

Those were some of the big reveals at the Moda Center from Monday's Media Day, the first orchestrated Blazer press event of the season.

For his part, Aldridge offered the only bit of drama, as he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. As soon as he sat down the question came: Does he plan to re-sign and stay in Portland after the year is over?

"I do," Aldridge said, adding that he didn't want his contract status to become a distraction. "I'm not going to talk about that much this season."

Otherwise, Media Day's central themes were continuity and meeting the higher expectations in the wake of last year's 51-win season.

On continuity--and the general lack of drama this media day--Aldridge put it best:

"It feels good," he said. "I think guys can focus on the task at hand."

"I don't think we're going to change a lot," explained coach Terry Stotts. "We're going to make adjustments," most of which, Stotts added, would come on the defensive end.

And on dealing with high expectations, Damian Lillard paraphrased his coach.

"I think coach Stotts said it best," Lillard explained. "You should embrace (high expectations)."

Who is weirder, RoLo or Kaman?

Chris Kaman's stylish footwear sends some love to big feet of the Northwest.

While Robin Lopez has been doing a fine job keeping Portland weird, he's met his goofball match in the newly-acquired Chris Kaman.

"We're both crazy," Lopez said, chuckling. "I think we're at opposite ends of the crazy spectrum. But we're so far at the ends that we kind of come back around."

Kaman, wearing a custom designed pair of high-tops emblazoned with "Air Sasquatch" on the tongues, agreed in kind.

So, too, did LaMarcus Aldridge. "Kaman and RoLo are both weird," Aldridge said with a laugh. "RoLo is the weirdest."

Lillard watching his figure

"I've stopped eating fast food," said Damian Lillard. "No sugar, no salt--well, sugar only from fruit."

Portland's All-Star point guard said he began eating more mindfully two and a half months ago, adding at the Monday event that he already notices a difference.

"When I wake up in the morning I feel great," he said.

Lillard also altered his strength and conditioning regimen this offseason, focusing more on his lower body.

"I worked on leg strength," Lillard said. He hopes to maintain freshness throughout a long NBA season and playoff run.

"I ran out of gas against the Spurs."

Taste of the championship

This summer, Lillard added, he watched again the Spurs-Blazers second round series twice in its entirety.

"We got a taste of winning in the postseason," he said. "We also got a taste of what it takes to be a champion," alluding to the Spurs subsequent run to win the NBA title.

LaMarcus Aldridge--and many of the other Blazers--echoed the same sentiment.

"The Spurs definitely showed us first hand," said Aldridge.

Batum on the international rebound

After leading the French national team to an unlikely third-place finish in the FIBA World Cup (and being named to the All-Cup team), Nicolas Batum admits he's a little tired.

"One day to rest," he deadpanned. That was all he got.

Then it was back to doing media spots in France, playing charity games, and traveling back to Portland.

Still, he's not too worried.

"I'm 25 years old," Batum said with a smile. "I recover pretty fast."