Canzano: Please, someone dunk the idea of Damian Lillard doing it all

Damian Lillard has eight dunks this NBA season. (Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)
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on February 06, 2014 at 6:59 AM, updated February 06, 2014 at 8:31 PM

Count me among those who would prefer to see Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoot the breeze instead of the basketball All-Star weekend. Which is only to say, I'm torn at the idea of the young face of Portland's franchise making a run at NBA history by attempting the modern basketball pentathlon.

Torn -- as in -- can't decide if this five-event frenzy is a terrible idea, or just a lousy one.

Lillard, an All-Star reserve, said he's been given the green light by the NBA to also compete the All-Star Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, Rising Stars Challenge, and Three-Point Competition. Great for his brand, wonderful for the NBA, but flat lousy for the Blazers.

Be sure, the Blazers won't say a peep to Lillard on this issue. As much as they've love for him to rest, stay healthy, and prepare for a brutal stretch run, they know they're not driving the bus here. In fact, general manager Neil Olshey knows that the absolute ham-handed and worst thing he could do is attempt to dictate what Lillard should and shouldn't do with his weekend.

Camp Lillard wants to expand the brand. The All-Star weekend is the perfect place. I have no doubt he's capable, and that he'll fare well. But it's the risk to the Blazers great season that doesn't feel right.

The Blazers haven't won a playoff series in 13 seasons. They won't do it again this season without Lillard healthy, rested and ready. While it might be fun even for Blazers fans to watch Lillard become the league's first player to partake in all five events, and even win all five, the whole notion is hollow.

The Skills Challenge has been around for only 10 years. The current format and name of the Rising Stars Challenge has been around only since 2012. So really all we're establishing is that Lillard is fortunate enough to be young, gifted and present when the NBA tried to get increased eyeballs on its All-Star weekend. Also, he was present when higher-profile stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant were locked into chasing the Larry O'Brien Trophy instead of trying to get a participation award in five All-Star events.

It's an honor that Lillard is viewed as one of the league's next-tier star players. But let's be real about the reasons why the NBA wants its reigning Rookie of the Year overexposed during All-Star weekend. Lillard gives the league star depth at a time it desperately needs it. Chris Paul has been injured. Kobe Bryant isn't participating, either. Even with LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the NBA needs more developed name brands to thicken up the showcase weekend. But Lillard's participation and over-exposure threatens everything Portland (35-14) is working so hard to attain this season.

Lillard should play in the All-Star Game, absolutely. Skills Challenge? A strong maybe. Rising Stars Challenge, only with a stipulation that his minutes be kept to a minimum. But dunking on top of all that? The three-point shooting, too? When he's finished, why not just have him fly the 737's in and out of New Orleans while serving cocktails in first-class?

The goal for Portland this season is now a playoff-series win, not a Lillard dunk title. We know he can dunk. He's done it eight times this season. The challenge for the Blazers is to finish this season as strongly as it started it, not to put a three-point title in the trophy case. Chasing short-term gains while your competition rests up and focuses on the bigger picture seems foolish, forced and counterintuitive.

It's why Thursday's news that Lillard was "excited" about participating in five events felt so out of character. He's an unselfish player on the court. He shares the ball. He's a very nice offensive threat, but never to the detriment of his team.

Until this moment, that is.

If Lillard gets injured, this is a disaster. If he's not full rested, this hurts. But the worst part may just be the perception that, for the first time in his career, Lillard has put himself in front of Trail Blazers, Inc.

Eric and Aaron Goodwin, the agents who represent Lillard, do not act impulsively. They're the inner-circle advisers Lillard trusts most. I'm certain Aaron Goodwin, who was LeBron's agent once upon a time, has performed a detailed risk-reward assessment. There's the matter of potential client burn-out vs. significant marketing opportunities. I'm sure it's tempting to throw his client into the weekend and see what happens, but the hope here is that Lillard begs off a couple of events and rests us. Or that the NBA realizes this could be a disaster if he's injured or fades away after the break.

We get it. Blake Griffin jumped a Kia and hit his head on the marketing moon in 2011. Dwight Howard cemented his status as Superman in 2008 dunking in what looked suspiciously like a rigged competition. Before that, Dee Brown pumped up his Reeboks in 1991 and likely, his bank account a little, too. But the best dunkers aren't in the contest anymore. Without them, the novelty is gone. So should Lillard.

I suppose the Blazers have already decided they'll sit quietly, and hope Lillard works some rest into his weekend somewhere. In the meantime, they'll pump up the red and black marketing machine behind him. I guess at a time when there's more competition for your sports dollar, there's always the notion that any brand exposure and hint of prestige is good for the franchise.

Also, turns out, the Blazers are one of 15 teams that have never had a dunk champion. We don't dunk here, apparently (See: Fernandez, Rudy). The Blazers aren't anywhere near the two proud NBA franchises that stand on top of the all-time All-Star dunk-competition standings.

Those would be the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks.

They have four dunk titles each.

Look at 'em now.

--- @JohnCanzanoBFT