Been re-hashed several times and flat out wrong. BYU and St. Mary's were the best teams he played against and he had good games in both. But, keep saying it if people keep believing it.
Not sure if you're being sarcastic. But I've mentioned this Curry comparison before. But Lillard is more athletic.
Not sarcastic, I must not have seen you mention him previously. I agree completely, I went and looked at their advanced stats from their last years in college and they were very similar.
i'm not real high on lillard but looking at his stats per game against non Big Sky "power conference" schools: at St. Mary's - 36 min, 36 pts, 3 asst, 1 t/o, 2 reb, 11/18 fg (61%), 2/5 3pt (40%) 12/15 ft (80%) at BYU - 31 min, 15 pts, 2 ast, 3 t/o, 10 reb, 5/12 fg (42%), 1/4 3pt (25%), 4-4 ft (100%) at Cal - 36 min, 14 pts, 3 asst, 0 t/o, 3 reb, 4/17 fg (24%), 3/10 3 pt (30%), 3-4 ft (75%) vs Utah - 34 min, 22 pts, 5 asst, 1 t/o, 3 reb, 7/15 fg (47%), 4/7 3pt (57%), 4-4 ft (100%) I don't think your argument really holds up looking at these numbers. even if you want to throw out the Utah game because they were an awful Pac12 team, he still more than held his own against the other 3. There are plenty of reasons not to like Lillard, but saying he didn't perform against the better teams he faced is incorrect.
b\c it is true..... No mention of Cal BTW? 4-17/3-10 from 3pt range or how about another Pac-10 team his Soph year? ASU - 2-17\0-8 from 3pt range? BYU game he was 5-12/1-4 from 3pt range both under his season averages....3 to/2 assists...Oh and they lost that game by 28... and SMC? He took about 33% of his team shots and they lost by 17....still trying to find out what future NBA talent is on the St Mary's roster..... You cite that as a big game, how about in his league's tournament? You know, fighting for an NCAA berth...I'd say that is a pretty big game.... vs LMU 6-17/1-9 from 3pt range 5 to\2 assists....that was also a loss Now, he may be able to score in the NBA, overlooking that he seemed to struggle against better teams, but at 22, he is 2-3 years older than most other PG prospects and most other top prospects in general....and he didn't show much ability to be able to distribute the bal during his entore 3 years at Weber Statel...and that isn't a skill that is easy to transition to in the NBA...In fact the PG transistion from College to the NBA is probably the toughest to make, let alone adding the complexity of getting a guy who is used to scoring & having the ball in his hands all the time used to passing and more importantly SETTING UP his teamates Most likely he is going to be a 6'3 SG....Maybe best case like a Lou Williams\Bobby Jackson type? Coming off the bench....not good value at #6 in this or ANY draft IMO...Worst case he ends up fighting for minutes with Nolan Smith....I mean how many 6'2-6'3 SG that they think can play PG can POR possibly have? E-Will, Smith, Lillard? People keep saying it b\c it is true.....but I don't expect you to change your stripes, given that you fought for Adam Morrison until the bitter end....
What stood out the most to me in looking at those numbers was his paltry asst. numbers. I get that the league is changing to a game where your PG is more of a scorer (ie Westbrook) but you still have to get others involved from time to time. I get that he was probably playing with a bunch of scrubs but with the defenses so focused on him, you'd think it would have left his teammates open more then three times a game. Again, I'm not sold on Lillard and would much rather take a flyer on Drummond or play it a little safer with Barnes.
It is entirely true.... and forget about the scoring for a second, and we will say ok those were just oddly coincidental abherrations.... You have to ask, what is he going to be as an NBA PG, given his production in college? b\c he showed himself to be more of a SG than a PG...and his stats bear that out...Now he says (and they all do...hello Nolan Smith) Well, they needed me to score...but I can set guys up...Well, he didn't really do that...his assist\to ratio as a junior was worse than Marquis Teague, a freshman 3 years his junior....and I haven't seen a lot of those types of players become top 1/2 of the NBA\All Star PG....The trend is very much the opposite...bench scoring combo guard...there are a lot of those guys out there.... and expecting a guy to transition from a scorer\focal point of his offense to a PG who can know when and where to effectively set up his teamates is no easy task, not even for kids coming out of college who ARE more traditional PG's...Let alone a guy who is used to dominating the ball and scoring...That mentality is just not there, nor is it easy to learn...either you have it or you don't...
Yeah, his assist #'s are not good, even worse when you consider that he benefited from good perimeter shooters...meaning swing\dump passes for long range shots...not the drive into the paint and dish variety, which is a staple in the NBA.... Watch this video, particularly when he is in 1/2 court sets...how many drvie and dish asissts do you see? I saw 1? Maybe 2? and 1/2 court execution is critical for players, particularly PG in the NBA...I don't think dribbling around the perimeter or hoisting shots from there is going to get it done for POR....and you have to question his ability to effectively run a pick and roll, which with LA is critical.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu95W4Oytks&feature=player_embedded#!
I'm hoping we can get one of the top5 prospects because guys like Drummond or Lillard don't normally develope new skills when your already 19. These prospects started playing extensive basketball before they were 10 so if you haven't developed decent passing skills or defensive boxing out in 10 years of playing as a kid its extordinarily rare to all of the sudden develope the skills at 22. Think of someone who's never taken a math class by the age of 20. Doesn't matter what you try to teach them now they'll never become a gifted mathematican.
Blaze01 seems to think his calling should be as an NBA executive instead of resident board expert on drafts. You dig up an 8 year burn on Adam Morrison. I looked at a draft thread from last year to see your body of work and it looks spotty. You were pimpin Charles Jenkins from Hofstra real hard. Then you talked about us trading up for the Pistons pick and taking Kemba Walker or Alec Burks, or perhaps even, "stealing Jimmer right out from under UTA nose" as you put it. Then you said, "Hell maybe you dangle Batum and #21 to get another top 10 pick and get both Burks and Walker\Fredette, then deal Rudy to NY for the #17 and get your big man there, be it Faried or a guy I like Keith Benson, Lucas Noguiera or Jeremy Tyler." Comedic.
I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings? I like Burks....So does UTA BTW...and I like Kemba Walker...Oh, and Faried.....the rest are all 2nd round flyer types? Not sure I get your point there...I threw out some ideas and that means what exactly? You know at least I have given some reasons\evidence for why I don't like Lillard as a PG....Something which you seem incapable of doing BTW....
Hurt my feelings? haha. Kemba Walker and Fredette are both great college players who's game won't translate to the pro's. I like Burks as well. Charles Jenkins was your man last year. What I'm trying to get at, is quit lambasting every person that likes Lillard and acting like just because you don't like him doesn't mean he won't be good. I've already given reasons why I like him. Your track record is spotty at best, so don't act like a know-it-all. Its annoying.
I don't see any problems with his shooting mechanics [video=youtube;RFaqUfgJooM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFaqUfgJooM&feature=related[/video]
i'm not saying he was a world beater in those games but the statement was, " Lillard was not nearly the player he was playing against the likes of Sacramento State and Mayville State." When in fact he was pretty close to his season averages against St. Mary's, Cal and BYU. I don't think he turns into a great PG in the NBA and I don't really want us to draft the guy but just his raw numbers were fairly close.
His shot is virtually perfect.. Very quick release. Unless a miracle happens and one of Robinson or MKG fall to #6, I'm going to be extremely disappointed on draft day if we don't pick Lillard.
I don't think there is any doubt that Lillard would like to be the 6th pick overall, and basically come in and start right away with Batum and Aldridge. I am sure he and his agent are selling the shit out of him to Portland
Here is a video of the Chicago combine, where some of you stated that "he killed it" in.... 2 on 1...3 on 2 drills? Really? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ZJR2aAmaw These don't tell you anything...and niether do 1 v none workouts....He shot lights out in POR, not a big surprise he was a prolific scorer in college and he had no one guarding him....but how is he as a PG? None of these workouts show you that.... He is a combo scoring guard...NBA benches are full of players like that....and if your going to draft an NBA combo guard, I think you are better off with Waiters...similiar size, more dynamic\versatile scorer, better defender, better frame and can finish at the rim with contact (useful in the NBA).... Not sure I would take either at #6...but if I had to chose b\t the two it would be Waiters... I think counting on a guy who is a scorer, used to having the ball in his hands all the time, to come into the NBA and suddenly be able to run a team as a PG and set up teamates and play off the ball at times is WISHFUL thinking.... Better off getting a PG via FA...
People only know how he did in Chicago by what was reported. If people said he "killed it" there must have been glowing reports. You say NBA benches are stocked full of combo PG's like Lillard, but then you say we would be better off with Waiters. Guess what, Waiters is a combo guard as well.
