It may be only a week into the season, but Damian Lillard has already noticed a difference with one of the league's premier squads.
While he admits that the Golden State Warriors remain one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers point guard suspects that the loss of Andrew Bogut has caused their defense to slip considerably from last season.
"It's not the same," Lillard told Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. "They are a great offensive team and I think they will still be a good defensive team, but it's different than when (Andrew) Bogut is not back there. It's just not the same."
"Watching their game against New Orleans, watching their game against Phoenix - both teams attacked the paint a lot," Lillard said. "They were attacking the rim, attacking the rim, and it kept both teams in the game, so we have to do the same thing."
While it's only three games into the season, there's no questioning the Warriors' struggles on defense. Last year's Western Conference champs rank just 27th in defensive efficiency, and are surrendering a league-leading 114.3 points per game.
Lillard was one of the few players to have regular success against the Warriors during their 73-win campaign, averaging 36.5 points in four regular season games against Golden State.
The 26-year-old will have the opportunity to put his money where his mouth is on Tuesday night, when the Blazers face the Warriors at the Moda Center.
