Damian Lillard adjusts his game for US Olympic team

Amid questions about his future, Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard is spending the first part of the summer with the U.S. Olympic team in Las Vegas.

The national team has lost two of three exhibition games at Michelob Ultra Arena in its tuneup before leaving for Tokyo, but Lillard has done his part, averaging 16.3 points, including a team-high 22 in a 91-83 loss to Australia on Monday.

Lillard is coming off perhaps the best season of his career. The point guard averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds and finished seventh in the MVP race.

But now, playing alongside prolific scorers such as Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, Lillard plans to alter his game in Tokyo.

“I didn’t come here to try to play the exact same way that I play in Portland,” Lillard said. “I came here to be a weapon, to play off of other guys. I came here excited to not be exactly who I’ve been for my team but to use my skill set and all of my abilities to complement everybody else on this team. Sometimes that might mean being more aggressive with the ball, sometimes that means off the ball.”

Lillard’s first Olympic experience has been a long time coming. The six-time All-Star was named a finalist for the 2016 team but didn’t make the roster.

“At this point in my career, I’m 30, gonna be 31 soon, this is something that would be a great accomplishment,” he said. “Something that’s great to be a part of, a great thing to add to my resume and my legacy.”

It wasn’t just the Olympic experience that convinced Lillard to join the team. Longtime San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich’s presence pushed him over the top.

“Pop being the coach of the national team played a big role in my decision to commit,” Lillard told The Associated Press in June. “I have a lot of respect for Pop as a coach and as a person.”

The nine-year NBA veteran has been the subject of trade rumors during the offseason. After a practice last week, Lillard addressed the media for the first time since Portland’s first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.

“At this point, it’s a lot of things being said, sometimes words being put in my mouth, and I haven’t said anything,” Lillard said. “… All of the people who’ve covered me since I’ve been in the NBA, they know that if there’s something to be said or if I think something or have something to say, I’m going to say it and I’m going to stand on it.”

This summer is Lillard’s first international basketball experience, but he’s taken on a leadership role. After the two losses, he found himself speaking on the team’s behalf after less than a month together.

“These teams are experienced. They’ve spent a lot of time together,” Lillard said Monday. “We’re not just going to come out here, roll the ball out and beat these teams. We’ve got to play the right way.”

The team plays Australia on Friday and Spain on Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena before leaving for Tokyo.

Contact Dylan Svoboda at dsvoboda@reviewjournal.com. Follow @dylanksvoboda on Twitter.