This isn't really anything new. When Dame gets hot, he gets RED HOT. When he's cold, he's ice cold. It's been this way since his rookie year. However, the 5-19, 3-16 nights are coming way too often recently, and it's probably a direct function of his fatigue. His %'s this year are around where he's been all his career. The lack of offensive talent on this team has been beaten to death, and given the personnel, our best shot to win some of these games against top competition is to let Dame do his thing and hope he catches fire. This is fine for now because we have no alternatives. The shot selection and his %'s won't increase unless he gets better teammates. He's improved his decision making a bit from the beginning of the season to now. He's clearly trusting guys like Davis/Plums/Aminu/etc to do something when he's trapped. Get him another capable scorer, and I'm sure his efficiency will improve.
Yes, and the ones that do have 3+ players who can make their own shot are the best in the league. We should probably get one or two more if we want to be one of those teams. Klay, Curry, Iggy, Barnes. CP3, Blake, Crawford Leonard, Parker, Ginobli Durant, Westbrook, Waiters
If you think this is "bashing", perhaps a refresher in what that word actually means is in order. Dame has been very good this year but how is it bashing to discuss things that can still be improved? Then again, some people are offended but almost anything so I suppose that shouldn't come as a surprise. I've complimented Dame over and over on the things he has improved on but to wear rose-colored glasses and to say this is as good as it gets and not try to improve further seems quite near-sighted.
I would like to add, if you want to contend, you should be comparing yourself to the top teams. It doesn't matter how many shot creators Denver or Minnesota has, because they are not in the playoffs, and aren't close to being good anyways.
This is just a flawed conclusion formed from an arbitrary sample duration. For the game he was 13/27, 48%.
You can't even suggest that Dame should play better here. Didn't you know? No matter how many stats you dig up, you will get called a basher and have your fandom questioned.
Check this out. Curry is just ridiculous. http://bkref.com/tiny/8HRZv It seems like there's a pretty clear distinction in PGs after CP. It's Steph/Russ/CP in tier 1. Dame/Lowry in tier 2, but guys like Thomas and Kemba have improved to get very close to that second tier and I think Dame this year will end up closer to the other guys than tier 1.
The logical end of this argument is him being judged on the shooting percentage of each shot he takes. 100% or 0%. From one shot to the next, he is the best player in the history of the NBA, or he is the worst player in the history of the NBA.
nah...that's a stretch...I think Tpup is a bright guy who knows hoops pretty well...but tends to see more optimistic takes as being somehow unrealistic. Stats have value...I've never put a lot of importance on the numbers other than the final score of a game. Dame can improve defensively and offensively. He's given me no reason to think he won't. I really dislike the term Homer because it has the stigma of being a fan who has a shallow view of the team. I've been bashed for being an optimist way more than Dame has been bashed for his shooting percentage. To me the eternal pessimists sort of suck the joy out of the season. I learn a lot from guys like Tpup without needing to really feel like their views are bullshit....that door should swing both ways
Not true. Plums can dribble. One of the best dribbling bigs in the NBA. Crabbe can dribble some. Harkless can dribble some. I expect Hark, Plums and Crabbe to continue to improve this about thier game. Where does that then put us? Good examples, but we already have 2.5 who can and a couple guys who can still improve to that ( dribbling). Im not concerned like most around here. Just like I wasn't concerned when people thought AMinu was a huge drop off from Nic....
It's not bashing Lillard to bring up valid observations. He's easily my favorite player, but... For as good as Lillard is, there are about 2-3 times a game when he just comes down and jacks up a contested thirty footer with 18 seconds on the shot-clock (or a contested, off-balance fade away from the baseline with 18 seconds left on the shot-clock). Occasionally one goes in, but usually it's no better than a turnover. I don't really understand why he does it, especially since he's a pretty intelligent player the rest of the game. I'd understand if he took those after he'd just made two in a row or something, but he'll do this when he's 1-7 from the field and ice cold. Take those 2-3 odd shots a game away and his FG% is suddenly much more efficient. But where he and the rest of the team are really in need of improvement is on defense. Just nowhere near good enough.
Im just curious. Is it easier for people to observe flaws than it is great plays? Not trying to bicker, but even to me, it seems its easy to dwell on the one bad play and forget all about the good plays.. or chalk them all up into one sentence.. When Lillard time is hot IT's white hot... but...
Very much what I was referring to and certainly not on a single game basis. I would just like to see the non-Lillard Time not so often be in the low 30% shooting range so that his overall percentage improves and he becomes the player most of us believe he can be. If that is construed as bashing, then throw away the dictionary.
Being able to dribble is not the same as being a playmaking threat. Yes Crabbe can dribble, but no teams are afraid of Crabbe dribbling. Yes Harkless can dribble, but no teams are afraid of Harkless dribbling. Yes Plumlee can dribble, but not even the Blazers want him dribbling outside of pushing a fast break. Asking these guys to make plays on a consistent basis is what other teams want us to do. Rather than these guys being the beneficiary of Lillard and McCollum wreaking havoc. The answer to slowing down Portland's offense is to deny McCollum and Lillard the ball. After watching 77 games I think that has been the clearest answer to slowing the Portland offense. Of course there are outlier games where Aminu or Crabbe goes crazy and we pull one out, but in a 7 game series you can bet that OKC or the Clippers or whoever are just going to trap Lillard and McCollum on the pick and roll and then deny them the ball - force other players to make plays against the shot clock. At that point someone else has to be able to make plays on a consistent basis, and looking up and down the roster I don't see a single player I would trust in a series. That's no knock on our guys, they have done a tremendous job and if the defense was on par with our offense (6th best in the league), I would feel a bit more confident. As it stands, it still feels like the roster needs an upgrade somewhere and obtaining another offensive threat would certainly make our offense less predictable.
good post..I also think that we tend to forget this is almost this entire rosters first season of playing together...Nic became a great facilitator several years into playing with pretty much the same starting lineup...I've enjoyed watching them develop chemistry and think the guys who stick around will use the clock much better given another season together. Dame has improved in his ball protection I think but he does need to improve in shot clock management.
Did you read your own post I responded to? Your the one who said we don't have anyone who can dribble. so that's what I used when referencing play makers, because that's what YOU used as a measurement.
It is completely acknowledging #LillardTime but also acknowledging that #LillardTime is often small portion of the game and then being open-minded about the majority of the game and how that can be hopefully closer to 40% shooting than the so often 25-35% shooting for the rest of the game. Is it okay to acknowledge the whole game?
The dude was flat out CARRYING us after the All-Star break. I think it's fatigue. He wanted to make the playoffs so bad, and now that we're virtually a lock, I think he's showing the wear and tear of the season.
What about this do you not understand? If you're going to just argue semantics why waste everybody's time?
Certainly. Just sure would be nice to log on this site and see a thread title of something like,... Dame goes toe to toe with Curry and holds his own... For every positive thread, there are 5-10 breaking I mean I could do this and create the threads, but i'm already under the gun and considered annoying. But on the serious, It sure would be nice if those who do create daily threads for topic, chose some of these topics for discussion, rather than always trying to put the negatives as the topic. Not by any means trying to call you out or say that's what you do. Just the forum in general. For such a great season, scan the pages of thread topics. Very little positivism overall compared to how many threads are breaking the guys down. Understandable at the beginning of the season, but now???
