Why Damian Lillard's early-season struggles are a good thing for the Trail Blazers

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Nov 2, 2015.

Moderators: 6

Moderators

  1. BrianFromWA
  2. Chris Craig
  3. Darkwebs
  4. Ed O
  5. PtldPlatypus
  6. SlyPokerDog
Page 1 of 2
  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,530
    Likes Received:
    145,774
    Trophy Points:
    115
    SlyPokerDog, Nov 2, 2015
    #1
    UncleCliffy'sDaddy and Eastoff like this.
  2. Nikolokolus

    Nikolokolus There's always next year

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2008
    Messages:
    30,704
    Likes Received:
    6,198
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I like Lillard's approach and his apparent thoughtfulness, but the best part of all these early struggles is that every early loss is one more that they don't have to put up later in Operation Tank®
     
    Nikolokolus, Nov 2, 2015
    #2
  3. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,942
    Likes Received:
    26,278
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    ...by JASON QUICK. Don't forget that part.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Nov 2, 2015
    #3
    dviss1 and kjironman1 like this.
  4. Trackjack

    Trackjack Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2015
    Messages:
    2,914
    Likes Received:
    1,910
    Trophy Points:
    113
    It is good way that he doing that and we will find out who will stay and which will go at the end of the season.
     
    Trackjack, Nov 2, 2015
    #4
  5. rasheedfan2005

    rasheedfan2005 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2013
    Messages:
    8,543
    Likes Received:
    4,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    "See, after Saturday’s game, I told Lillard all of this: that he didn’t look comfortable, that he looked like he was deferring and feeling his way, that I wondered when he was going to say ‘to heck with this’ and take over a game."


    Why I cant stand this ass holes "journalism" for $500 Alex.
     
    rasheedfan2005, Nov 2, 2015
    #5
    Nikolokolus, UKRAINEFAN, dviss1 and 5 others like this.
  6. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,530
    Likes Received:
    145,774
    Trophy Points:
    115
    Yes but Lillard's answer to all of that was interesting and made Quick's question worth it.



    He nodded in silent agreement. Then he showed why he is more than just a scorer and a playmaker, and why the franchise invested so heavily in him.

    He gave the perfect answer.

    “It’s part of growth,’’ Lillard said of his early season approach. “I can’t go out there and say, ‘Check this out, this is what I do, you all need to just get on board.’ That’s not who I am. I care about my teammates coming along also.’’

    So he’s willing to afford long stretches when he defers to a hot CJ McCollum. He’s willing to risk some turnovers to discover what kind of bounce passes he can make to Mason Plumlee inside. Willing to sacrifice a couple of fourth quarter opportunities to see if Al-Farouq Aminu can be a big-shot maker late in games.

    “I mean, the thing is, for me it’s also a process,’’ Lillard said. “I went from being on a team with guys who I’ve played with to now having to learn how to make guys better and pick my spots when I need to attack and be more aggressive. It is a process and I’ve been able to get things done while feeling it out and playing.’’
     
    SlyPokerDog, Nov 2, 2015
    #6
    VanillaGorilla, UKRAINEFAN, UncleCliffy'sDaddy and 1 other person like this.
  7. tlongII

    tlongII Legendary Poster

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2008
    Messages:
    17,256
    Likes Received:
    11,937
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Systems Analyst
    Location:
    Beaverton, Oregon
    Garbage article. It's never a good thing when you're playing poorly. I'm confident he'll work his way out of this, but I'm sure he would rather be playing better now.
     
    tlongII, Nov 2, 2015
    #7
    oldmangrouch likes this.
  8. rasheedfan2005

    rasheedfan2005 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2013
    Messages:
    8,543
    Likes Received:
    4,673
    Trophy Points:
    113
    No question lillard is a professional and a leader and understands the team sucks right now. It's great that he's willing to work with the team and not just getting his contract and laying around ala kobe.

    But quick sucks :-)
     
    rasheedfan2005, Nov 2, 2015
    #8
    Orion Bailey, dviss1 and BlazerCaravan like this.
  9. Eastoff

    Eastoff But it was a beginning.

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2009
    Messages:
    16,059
    Likes Received:
    4,034
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Tualatin
    I enjoyed reading the article.
     
    Eastoff, Nov 2, 2015
    #9
    VanillaGorilla, Orion Bailey, MarAzul and 2 others like this.
  10. BBert

    BBert Weasels Ripped My Flesh

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2008
    Messages:
    26,654
    Likes Received:
    20,356
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Poster Boy
    Location:
    Blazerlandia
    Yep
     
    BBert, Nov 2, 2015
    #10
    dviss1 likes this.
  11. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    22,645
    Likes Received:
    34,632
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Investment Management / Financial Planner
    Location:
    Lake Oswego
    It was much more about his approach than how he was playing.
     
    TBpup, Nov 2, 2015
    #11
    Nikolokolus likes this.
  12. BBert

    BBert Weasels Ripped My Flesh

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2008
    Messages:
    26,654
    Likes Received:
    20,356
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Poster Boy
    Location:
    Blazerlandia
    OK. So Quick asked a question that elicited a quotable statement from Dame (not hard to do by the way).

    But that's not the point.

    First, if Quick said that, it's no wonder so many players can't stand him. I mean, who the fuck does he think he is? Maybe I should interview Stotts and act like I know more about basketball than he does?

    But the larger problem with Quick is what he wrote in the article. And I re-quote:
    Yeah, Jason. You are so fucking knowledgeable. Your readers are in awe of your basketball acumen. You really schooled Damian. And of course you had to tell us about it, and make the story about you. Thanks for that.

    It's not a matter of whether "Quick's question was worth it." He could have simply quoted Dame, without the self-aggrandizing; without making the story about Jason Quick.

    Oh, wait. No he can't.
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2015
    BBert, Nov 2, 2015
    #12
    rasheedfan2005 likes this.
  13. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Messages:
    22,645
    Likes Received:
    34,632
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Investment Management / Financial Planner
    Location:
    Lake Oswego
    Agreed. I think he is quite a good writer but does seem to have difficulty leaving himself out of the story.
     
    TBpup, Nov 2, 2015
    #13
    Nikolokolus likes this.
  14. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    57,713
    Likes Received:
    56,216
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NYstateofmind
    Hold up, here.

    Dame is deferring?

    Where? to whom?
     
    illmatic99, Nov 2, 2015
    #14
    UKRAINEFAN and HailBlazers like this.
  15. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2008
    Messages:
    21,370
    Likes Received:
    7,281
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Life is good!
    Location:
    Near Bandon Oregon
    "turnovers, most of them either bounce passes in traffic to his bigs"
    Stotts should have corrected this problem a couple years back. I don't know why he has not learned bounce passes to big guys on the move are not good.
    Ha! I have posted this before only to draw the rath of posters on this board. Well they are still resulting in TOs. I can still remember a practice, doing a bounce
    pass to the center once, coach Newell pulled me aside and explained for a full 5 minutes how ill advised it was.
     
    MarAzul, Nov 2, 2015
    #15
    UKRAINEFAN likes this.
  16. PCmor7

    PCmor7 Generational Poster

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2014
    Messages:
    7,977
    Likes Received:
    11,816
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Saying this for years
    I guess we can add Jason Quick to the list of people scapegoating Damian ...
     
    PCmor7, Nov 2, 2015
    #16
    BBert likes this.
  17. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,530
    Likes Received:
    145,774
    Trophy Points:
    115
    Steve Nash twice led the league in turnovers. Lillard is looking to pass more this season, that will lead to more turnovers.
     
    SlyPokerDog, Nov 2, 2015
    #17
    BlazerCaravan likes this.
  18. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,530
    Likes Received:
    145,774
    Trophy Points:
    115
    Looks like some of you long to have Nate McMuffin back, he would bench Lillard after the first turnover. That was such fun basketball.
     
    SlyPokerDog, Nov 2, 2015
    #18
    Nikolokolus, BlazerCaravan and BonesJones like this.
  19. dviss1

    dviss1 Emcee Referee

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2011
    Messages:
    29,620
    Likes Received:
    27,517
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Inserting himself in the story.... again...
     
    dviss1, Nov 2, 2015
    #19
  20. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2008
    Messages:
    21,370
    Likes Received:
    7,281
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Life is good!
    Location:
    Near Bandon Oregon
    I was thinking more along the lines of Luke Walton.
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2015
    MarAzul, Nov 2, 2015
    #20
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page