Trail Blazers' Pat Connaughton wants to prove he is more than just a great athlete: Pat Connaughton can throw a football 80 yards. He can drive a golf ball over 300 yards. His fastball tops out in the mid-90s. He's a phenomenal athlete. But entering his second season in the league, he's focused on earning a different reputation: He wants to be viewed as an NBA guard. -- The Oregonian

Damian Lillard has wise words of advice for Weber State pal Joel Bolomboy: If it weren’t for Damian Lillard, it’s likely Joel Bolomboy would’ve never played for Weber State. “He was definitely one of the main reasons why I committed to Weber State,” Bolomboy said of the Trail Blazers star, who was the host for the Jazz’s second-round draft pick when he was being recruited by the Wildcats. -- Deseret News

Trail Blazers Damian Lillard pays for kid to attend camp after mom asks for help: Damian Lillard is known for providing assists on the court for the Trail Blazers, but he dished out a big assist to a Vancouver teenager and his mother last week. A Vancouver teenager desperately wanted to attend Lillard's camp, but was informed the camp was full. The mother, Erica Cassidy, sent a message to Lillard by Instagram asking if he could squeeze in one more camper. -- The Oregonian

Blazers core will stay together: I think today there is much euphoria among Trail Blazer fans that their team has been able to add some quality free-agent players this summer without losing the heart of what was the team's core last season. That's the good news. But there's another side to that story. It's not as if last season's team was battling for a conference championship. We're talking about a 44-win team here, a win total that would normally not be enough to make the playoffs. Suddenly, we find a team willing to go over the salary cap to retain its own players and seemingly saying it is all in for a championship run. Which is great news, of course. -- CSNNW.com