Is anyone else sick of watching Dame chuck up bad shots early in the shot clock? In tonight's game I counted 5 times (4 in the last quarter alone) where Dame takes a bad shot early in the shot clock without anyone else touching the ball. Occasionally he makes the shot (it's still a bad shot), but more often than not the other team comes right back & scores. He needs to be reigned in on his shot selection.
When Lillard is on, he can hit shots from anywhere. Like Curry. Unlike Curry, he's not that on most of the time. Unfortunately, he doesn't recognize that.
Shooters shoot. Shooters need to get into a rhythm to make shots. Lillard is one of THE best in the NBA at distance. He's also the best player on the team. If he wants to shoot let him.
Hated some of his shot selection tonight, but he was honestly a step slow this evening. Didn't have that usual burst. Don't blame him
Yeah, but smart players smart. Outside of when he's at his hottest, a 30 foot heave with a taller player's hand in his face is a terrible shot with minimal chances of going in. He wasn't on fire--he needs to recognize that tonight isn't the night to take a terrible shot. Making smart decisions is important even for the best player on the team, not just the plebs.
Maybe I was too enthralled by how well Matthews was guarding him to fuss over the bad, desperation heave? Watching that sequence was like giving a man dying of thirst a cup of water in a dry, dusty desert.
Their morale is down right now. It happens. Werent we worse last year at this time? Stotts should try different things in the rotation. It couldnt hurt.
Let him shoot. Good things happen. Damian Lillard scored 20 points of his eventual 29 points in the third quarter on 6-of-9 shooting (2-3 3-PT).
Matthews' defense was really impressive. But the Blazers had time to run an action or two--but it was clear that Lillard had no interest in anything other than winning a one-on-one battle and draining the shot. I get the competitive mentality and desire to make the big shot, but the NBA has progressed beyond the "isolate and let your best player hero ball it." Kobe Bryant really isn't the best role model, these days.
The entire team plays like shit in the first half. Lillard came out after half and willed the team back into the game. But sure, he shoots too much, it's his fault we lost. Uh huh.
Let him use a ton of possessions per game? Absolutely--that's what best players are for. Encourage him to take awful shots? Not as exciting.
I think you missed my point. When I watched that sequence (and the replay several times after) I could only watch Mattews. I barely even registered Damian in the frame.
If you're passive aggressively responding to me, I didn't blame him for the loss. I blamed him for a bad decision and shot. There's a difference.
No, I understood what you were saying. I wasn't contradicting you, the "but" was just a continuing observation that Matthews' defense was impressive but shouldn't have simply snuffed the Blazers final possession. There should have been more to the possession than a one-on-one battle.
LOL! No, I was responding to many, including some who have yet to post in this thread. Lillard and his shooting has been and will be discussed many times.
Dame was horrible at the end of the game - not just the final shot. He had two turnovers with the Blazers down 1 in the last 2:30.
