Yeah. I'd agree with that. LA does post up... but it doesn't end like most men who post up... usually they go TO the basket at some point. lol.
LA did go to basket. Got blocked by Howard once and missed a bunch of close ones. But his best play of the game was he went to the basket got knocked to the ground and then got up, while Batum and Lopez were keeping the ball alive, and put it in.
LA did go to basket. Got blocked by Howard once and missed a bunch of close ones. But his best play of the game was he went to the basket got knocked to the ground and then got up, while Batum and Lopez were keeping the ball alive, and put it in.
His poise, confidence and composure more like Roy's at the beginning of the year. Someone mentioned in the 2nd OKC game on the road, he started to do funny, uncharacteristic things then. I think he has been that way ever since. I don't know if it's due to fatigue or if has started to overthink or what. But I've noticed a difference since then.
Wes is above average at a lot of things, no doubt. Compared to most SGs though, he's really sub par at handling the ball, taking his man off the dribble, looking up when he's trying to drive, things like that. It just depends on what we need him to do. For now he's doing what we need. I was responding to the issue of our sub par ball handling, and Wes is right in the middle of that, and is in fact the worst at it for his position on our team. (In my opinion.)
Getting stripped of the ball late in a game is something that just doesn't happen to PGs who are confident in their games. Lillard just needs to stop being tentative and going back to not giving a fuck. His comments about Beverley after the game were a bit concerning to me, frankly, in that he went right after the guy who had just punked him (via help from the refs, of course). Don't even acknowledge Beverley, and let the coaching staff take the heat for commenting on it and sending film to the NBA.
He WAS Roy like to start the season. Remember the talk about him in December? He'll be fine. They're all pressing right now. The guy I'm the least worried about is Dame. I thought LA finally climbed "Clutch Mountain" early this season. But he's back to struggling late in games. I worry more about his confidence than anyone. He wants to be that guy so bad . . . I actually felt like Dame was going to bail us out of OT before the Bev flop last night. He made that reverse in regulation to get us the lead back after Hou went up 1. Then he starts OT with a 3. It seems like he's just due to me. LA's end of games funk feels more complicated. Smh http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1906323-is-damian-lillard-the-most-clutch-player-in-the-nba
I don't think I agree. My guess is that you're thinking historically, rather than about the state of the league today. Yes, historically, Wes may be the worst dribbler at his position. But in today's NBA I think he's about average - maybe even slightly above average. LMA has got to be the worst ball-handler at his position. I think if you put LMA in the skills challenge against any other starting PF in the league he'd lose, and lose BIG.
You're probably right. Perhaps I've been spoiled watching so many talented wings crossing over and taking their men to the basket, or pulling up for a jump shot, over the years. Wes is a good shooter and his new post up game is a pleasant addition. The only thing that concerns me is he doesn't seem to be moving as well on defense as he used to.
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard defends his defense Quick: Well, I hope you know I wasn’t questioning your effort .. Lillard: I know you weren't. That’s why I’m saying, I wouldn’t tweet at you. Come on.
Strange that you only included that part of the interview. Here's the rest. Quick: I couldn’t tell if you were tweeting at me, or the other guy, on Sunday. Lillard: Nah. It was at him. What do you suggest? That’s what I’m saying to him. Sometimes the fans think they know, you know what I mean? Quick: I hope you see where I was coming from. Lillard: No, I understand. I understand. But for me, it’s like ... what ... what do I need to do? I’m out here going through 80 pick and rolls, 60 pick and rolls a game, using that same amount of pick and rolls. If you go to look at film -- and that’s why I say ‘are you looking at box scores or are you actually watching the game?’ -- if you look at film, I’m not just out here getting scored on. How many people iso me and break me down and score? Or is it pick and roll? What happens when I play against another point guard and I have a good defensive game? I’ve had plenty good, really good defensive games ... Quick: What do you consider some of your good defensive games? Lillard: I’m not going to say that. Then it will turn into who it was against and all that. I’ve had plenty of good defensive games, because I watch film on my defense. And I’ve had plenty of them. But I don’t want credit for that. I take pride in that. But then it’s like, the easy thing for people to say is ‘on the defensive end Damain Lillard has to do this’ and I’ve played against every point guard in the league and I have averaged 21 points. I’ve scored 21, I’ve scored that on everybody pretty much. And that’s sometimes, even being a good defender you get scored on. People score 20 points. Quick: Sure. This league is good. Lillard: Exactly. So my thing is, I feel like I can improve on the defensive end. A second-year player, I’m still learning things. You know, it takes time. But for me, it’s starting to feel like that’s the easy thing to say. I can take criticism. If there’s somebody who can take it? (points at himself). Say what you want. I will try to prove you wrong before I get mad over some criticism. But at some point, it’s like, now I’m like it’s the easy thing for somebody to say ‘Damian Lillard defense.’ Of course, pick and rolls, let me see somebody come out here, chase people over pick and rolls, get screened, on offense you coming off pick and rolls, and play 35 minutes. Not that I’m going to wear down, or that I’m tired, but it’s tough. Every game, for a whole season. It’s tough for every point guard. Quick: Is there a way you guys could play the pick-and-roll to make easier for you? Lillard: It’s not the way we play it. It’s the fact that it’s so constant. The pick and roll is so predominant in our league now, it just makes our job as point guards harder. Quick: That’s why everybody uses it; it’s a hard play to defend. Lillard: Exactly. But then we all have nights when the best of us, or the worst of us, a guy can go out there and get 20 every night, especially with our position being the best position. Quick: And in this league, probably more than any other, a guy gets labeled and it sticks. Especially early. Lillard: I know. I know. But this is the thing: people need to see my improvement. Maybe people forgot how tough it was from last season until now. You don’t see people taking me to the block, because they know it’s not going to be that easy. You know it’s not going to be a mismatch. Quick: What have you done to improve that makes it so people aren’t backing you down on the block? Lillard: I think it’s just watching film. Holding my ground. Being more physical. Positioning. I position myself, so instead of letting them walk me to the block, fighting them right here for that position, and by the time they get there, they dont want to keep fighting with me. But I know I have improved on the defensive end. at some point it has to be not the easy thing for people to say. I understand it, I completely understand it. But especially after a game like that, that was a big game, and somebody basically wants to question my effort? Come on man. Quick: Well, I hope you know I wasn’t questioning your effort .. Lillard: I know you weren't. That’s why I’m saying, I wouldn’t tweet at you. Come on
He is just doing his part to help out the Oregonian. Everyone needs more clicks to survive these days!
The Oregonian stole the "fans ask the questions" thing we are doing so I'm stealing everything from them. Fuck 'em!
Really? Ball Handling is LA's weakness but to say he's the worst at it at his position is just ludicrous trolling. So you're saying Reggie Evans can handle the ball Better? Chris Humphries? Kenneth Faried? NeNe? This is just off the top of my head but there's no way that Amir Johnson is a better ballhandler than LA. Just say he sucks at it instead of using grandiose terms. It hurts your credibility.
You know, Lillard is kind of right. I have never been able to blame him when the opposing PG scores off a P/R. Same goes for Nic/Wes. It's not the primary defender's fault when their man scores on a P/R. It's either the fault of the secondary defender or the scheme. The whole purpose of the pick is to get the primary defender behind the ball-handler, or create space if the defender goes under. Why should we be surprised that Lillard is always trailing his guy going into the paint? That's what a pick will do. (Fault: coaching) So the screen got Lillard out of the way. Last line of defense: Lopez. He's the only guy between the PG and 2 points. He can meet the PG at the screen, creating a wall of 3 players for the PG to navigate around. Or he can sag back into the paint and hope that his size strikes fear into the heart of the puny PG. Obviously we choose the second option and clearly it doesn't work. The quick, sure-footed PG has a head of steam and a wide-open expanse of court with which to out-maneuver the slow-footed, lumbering C. (Fault: coaching)
Have you watched him dribble? This is one time where I'm not over-exaggerating. There may be a handful of guys who LMA might beat in the skills challenge, but it wouldn't be a resounding victory and there aren't a significant number of players he would have an advantage over. I haven't watched the guys you mentioned in a while, but surely wouldn't put it past any of them to beat LMA. Also, "at his position" means to me "starting PF" not just a PF who's at the end of the bench or playing on a 10-day contract. But surely some of those players would also beat LMA. Even Shaq dribbled in the open-court better than LMA has.
