Nobody is saying the dude is a bad guy. We know that but simple observation just from a basketball standpoint will tell you something is off. Just because a guy falls off and you simply state that doesn't mean we think he's a bad guy off the court. He's an awesome dude no doubt. But any logical person can see Lillard has regressed..
Interesting. You see this too. It almost seems like it takes everything out of him to be great and he just can't maintain. Maybe it's conditioning. Maybe it's his new diet. Perhaps it is partying too much. I don't know. But he started the season off slow. Go onto a roll and couldn't maintain. It very well could be trying to play both ends. But op is right. Tale of two different Dames.
Lillards 3p shot being off is probably in part due to having his two fingers hurt on his shooting hand and having to change his shot to shoot with splints on then getting used to shooting with them off after having them on for months. Couple that with how fatigued he has to be and that could be why its been off. Every other aspect of his game has improved and his D still sucks but he puts effort in on that side of the ball and half of NBA D is all about effort. If Lillard stopped working on improving his game and settled with how he is now then id be very worried about tying this franchises hopes to Lillard but thats something I dont see happening.
I noticed it (and have been posting it) from the start of his 2nd year, not his 3rd. His clutch shooting got much less frequent in the 2nd year, and disappeared in the 3rd. In his 2nd year, posters thought I was weird, but fortunately, everyone now acknowledges my heroic solitary fight against homers. In the summer after the rookie year, we read that the coaches were showing him tapes of his embarrassing rookie year defense. Early in his 2nd year, I started speculating that there was a connection between his efforts on defense and offense. It's still a conspiracy theory (i.e. I have no evidence), but it's the theory that makes the most sense. Nice to see all you followers join my bandwagon. Welcome! Have a seat in the back, the straw is soft.
Do you know what my favorite part of this thread is? No matter who is right or wrong here its the fact that I am 100% confident that Lillard will just keep getting better and that we will continue to see his game evolve and grow. Because thats just who he is. If his ability to finish at the rim hadnt drastically improved this year then there may some cause for concern about his 3 point shooting. But the fact that is has gotten better (great even) is a sign that his game is evolving and growing. And coupled with the fact that he IS likely exhausted and a break this summer could do wonders, I again have no doubt that we will see Lillard v4.0 next year and v 5.0 the year after that. He is growing as a player likely EVERY SINGLE successful player in the history has done and those changes do not happen overnight. As one part of his game grows another may temporarily regress until he can adjust and evolve again. Coaches and defenses are not stupid. In the end he is 10 times better than anyone we could have hoped to have as our starting PG 3 years ago. It is so unfair to say that he isnt the player that he was last year or the year before. I hope he isnt but you have to look the big picture. And Im not saying that just because you are critical or pick at his game you arent a fan but you have to let the process happen because it is a process. We have been spoiled with Lillard. This early success is not normal. Look at LMA's progression since year three.
Some keep mentioning his fingers and the splint but he actually maintained his percentages for a good month or so after that happened. I don't know why that's used as an example
He has seemed a bit subdued recently. And we are getting KILLED by every half-decent PG. Although, to be fair, it's not always him guarding them. And Batum is not helping by just not shooting anything except threes any more. (On that point: more Gee, please - he seems pretty good at bothering opposing PGs.)
I I assume you are not 100% serious but sometimes as I watch him playing defense in the second half of the season, I wonder if he has this idea in the back of his head that it was trying to play defense in the first half of the season that has caused a decline in his offense. Because his defense has definitely fallen down; he is not much interested in following his man, be it over or be it under the pick.
I notice He's just so susceptible at getting taken out by a screen. It's like he doesn't know how to avoid them.
This. He doesn't seem to have the strength and stamina he had before. And the fact Dwayne Wade creamed him and hurt his back.
In my experience, Stevenson doesn't do troll threads, or posts. It's a valid observation, whether one agrees or not.
Doesn't he still the lead the league in 4th quarter points? Seems weird that anyone would say he isn't clutch when he is scoring the most clutch points in the NBA. Frankly, Dame has developed his game to take it inside more this season. The physical nature of going inside will take away his legs for the clutch 3 that most of you are complaining about. Personally, I would much rather have a multidimensional player that can score from the perimeter and inside than one that is only a perimeter player.
Lillard vs Curry, 1st 3yrs in the league - http://www.basketball-reference.com...&y1=2015&p2=curryst01&y2=2012&p3=&p4=&p5=&p6=
If the team defense gets better, it's going to make Lillard look better. He won't spend so much energy if the Blazers ever figure out how to defend a P & R, or P & P efficiently and intelligently. (See Spurs.) Right now, the help from the big men, and the help from the helper just SUCKS. I'm not worried about Lillard. His confidence is down right now but he'll make adjustments and bounce back with a vengeance.
I am very happy with how much Dame has improved this year. Night and day at finishing around the basket. Way more spectacular drives that he now makes look easy. Even though his 3 pt shooting percentage is down this year his overall shooting percentage is up. Not that I give a fuck about his advanced stats. Although he takes a few long 3 pointers that I wish he didn't, I think he is much better at running the offense. No doubt losing so many starters from earlier in the season has hurt his game. Lack of continuity usually does hurt the PG. Dame and LA are two players I just don't worry about.
