MANILA, Philippines – Portland Trail Blazers' star Damian Lillard saw tremendous potential in Kiefer Ravena but stressed that the "Phenom" needs to continue to put in the work if he wants to have a successful professional career.
Ravena met Lillard in Oakland last May and briefly worked out with the two-time NBA All-Star before the Blazers played the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
"I walked into the gym and I noticed him and a couple of other guys, and he worked really hard. He worked hard," Lillard told Marco Benitez in an interview on The Score.
"He can shoot. He can really shoot the ball," Lillard added. "I think, any time you're looking to be a pro, you gotta have one skill that will allow you to stick, or that a team can always count on, something that you can always count on."
"I think his shooting ability is something he can count on."
(READ: Lillard brings new colorway of his shoe in Philippine trip)
Lillard noted that Ravena "wasn't the most athletic" yet still saw "a lot of game" to the two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player.
"He can really play the game," Lillard stressed.
"I think there are things that he has to keep tightening up," he added. "Keep becoming a better shooter, so there's always something (that he has). He has that definitive skill that teams can look at and say, 'That's what we can use him for.'"
Ravena met Lillard again on Tuesday as the NBA star visited Manila to promote his new shoe.
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