Aren't you guys glad I taught you about him a couple years ago before that draft? I'm convinced Olshey saw my posts about him and that convinced us to draft him.
I think the similarties between Roy and Lillard are uncanny. They both play with this under control style of play and are great at getting space with moves, jab steps and the step back. And both took over in late game situations, but Lillard has taken it to a different level I think. I think I saw a stat that he's already had more than Roy.
Just in his third season, I wouldn't be surprised if Lillard had more 4th quarter points then Roy for his entire career
I can't track points at the moment, but I can track field goals. As a Blazer, Roy hit 473 field goals in the 4th or OT. That's 2006-2010. So far in his career, Lillard has hit 374 4th quarter or OT field goals. He's on pace to hit 468 by the end of the year. Knowing how many more 3-pointers he hits, I'd say your assessment is probably accurate.
That's really impressive man! Roy was so clutch and actually had the reigns for almost every season after his rookie year (having the most shots). Right now, dame is second to Aldridge, so having that stat being the second shooter on the team is crazy!!!!
If Lillard decided he wanted to take 20 shots/game, he could easily be ranked among some of the really great scoring combo/point guards in recent years. There's nothing keeping him from taking more shots. Double teaming him out on the perimeter is a recipe for disaster as the Lakers found, because once he inevitably breaks that down you don't have anything left at the rim. Put a bigger guard on him and he'll go around him, so they have to back off a little and risk the three pointer. He can pretty much create a quality shot for himself whenever he wants, so why not do it more? It means fewer touches for Aldridge, but then that also means fewer 18 foot jumpers and more offensive putbacks. When you see him go off for crazy fourth quarters like last night, you can't help but wonder if maybe he should really do that all the time and go after a scoring title. Teams with guys leading the NBA in scoring tend to be contenders. Let LMA/Wes/Batum focus more on being just opportunistic scorers. The biggest argument against that, I suppose, is TS%. Dame has by far the best among the list I linked to, and it's not even close. Do you sacrifice that to create a marquis player, a true top 3 superstar?
AGREED. Less LA, more Dame. That's not a knock on LA either. Dame is just that good, and IMO he's the best player on the team.
Lillard just amazes me game after game. This season his athleticism has been on greater display, always fun. But that Lillard time look he gets, where everyone knows 1) Dames going to take the shot, and 2) Dames going to make the shot, is just inspirational. I get so excited every game. I trust him completely.
Its easy to forget just how good Roy really was. Think of the Dallas playoff game for starters. Roy was a borderline superstar and rising when he left the game, he was ranked as high as 5th best player in the NBA at one time. Given a reality with a healthy Roy I'm still not sure who I would rather have on my team.
Since its only the Nets I will go with loosing Lillard. Would he have been this good on that team though?
