Thorpe: Damian Lillard Makes It Look Easy As Lillard squared up at the top of the key against Carter, who was playing high school basketball when Lillard was still in diapers, it looked like Lillard was going to try to take the slower Carter to the rim. But instead Lillard recognized that the Batum-Collison matchup might be the better option. So he patiently allowed Batum to body up Collison. Then in an instant, Batum faked moving up the floor and went backdoor, where Lillard easily hit him in stride. The play resulted in a nice dunk by Batum. Great players make great plays seem routine, and that is what Lillard is doing in this league already.

"Worked out hard all week. Now on the campaign trail." - Derek Fisher. What if we signed Fisher as a our backup PG? Might help us. Smarter than price and nolan. Way rather have fish, even though I can't get over his laker past.

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• In position news, Terry Stotts noted that Nicolas Batum, the starter at small forward, is "probably my first choice as a backup two." Ronnie Price's injury means Nolan Smith is now the primary backup at point to Damian Lillard, which means Smith's minutes at off-guard are now up for grabs. It sounds like Stotts would like to give those minutes to Batum, who played some shooting guard last season, rather than Will Barton, Sasha Pavlovic or Adam Morrison, at least for the time being.

"Luke Babbitt will be strictly a 'four'."

Batum and Matthews quoted by TrueHoop on the new flopping rule. Batum: "It's going to clean up the game a little bit. Everybody flops sometimes and if this cleans up the game, that's great."... "Every guy who plays in Europe. I flop sometimes. Well, I don't say I flop. Me, I exaggerate sometimes. I want it to stop though." Matthews: "I just think it's going to be tough (to call). I don't know how they are going to do it. Even with video, you can still debate calls. But I like the idea of it. I like that it will be in player's minds."

At NBA meetings: league cracking down on flopping. New rule this season: NBA will now review action for flops post game & fine offenders.

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@wessywes2: Perfect day here in pdx. Great work put in with the team at the pf today. The train, @aldridge_12 was in the building!

Lillard: "This man @TonyGaskins is too real. Y'all need to get up on him. He just changed my life. #realrap" Perhaps we will need a new nickname. :)