With LA and Nic out of the starting lineup tonight, Dame is clearly the number one scoring option. You know that the Warriors are going to be doubling him whenever he touches the ball, but everybody does that against Westbrook too and that isn't slowing him up. I say it's time for Dame to channel his inner Russ, get aggressive from the opening tip, an ring up a triple double tonight.
I'd love to see Dame go Full Westbrook for a game or two, just because I know he can, and he's not going to hate being a team player when his teammates return.
GSW have three great defenders to toss at Lillard, if he scores a ton tonight he will have earned it.
Dame should have plenty of chances to score. But I think the biggest change will be CJ's role. Without Nic we don't have ball handlers to create off the dribble so CJ should get a chance to do it for extended minutes. I might even think of starting CJ and sliding Afflalo to SF. Put Meyers in at PF and there should be very good court spacing for Lillard/CJ to operate.
He goes to the rim a lot more lately, but he doesn't get the calls that Russ gets. That's the difference (though it's a big difference, as Dame is a neophyte to going to the rim more than taking the 3.)
Lillard actually gets lots of calls like other superstars. Other teams announcers and fans can't stand it because they think he's a flopper and embellishes contact.
It really seems arbitary when he gets the calls, to me. And I try to really stay objective when I see the calls. Lately, the refs have not been very bi-partisan. Hopefully that changes. (I'm talking about as a team here.)
Bullshit. Here are Westbrooks combine numbers. http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Russell-Westbrook-5062/links/ Lillard has a 3 inch advantage in Vertical and a 4.5 inch advantage in No step vert. http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damian-Lillard-6152/stats/
The difference is Dame can't do this. Dame is a great PG and I love rooting for him on our team but Russ is a transcendent physical specimen.
Dame is behind several guys in this regard at his position. He works for everything he gets which I think causes his late season fatigue. Everyday it's a job for him.
Well sure, combine numbers are everything. CJ must be more athletic than Westbrook too; after all, he posted 32" & 38" vert figures, which also both surpass Westbrook. And Dwyane Wade. Hell, even Kendall Marshall is more athletic than Westbrook, according to the combine results.
Ever since the headband game he got hurt and has fallen off. He should find that headband and burn it.
Westbrook has a violent aggression of attacking the rim that Dame and every basketball player ever has never displayed. I'm not saying Westbrook is a better PG or not but its ridiculous to say Dame has the same athletic level. Nobody has the athletic level of Westbrook and you sound delusional with your posts. It would be just as stupid to say Westbrook is as accurate as Dame at long 3's and show that he's made some. Both players have different abilities and you can be a fan of one player while acknowledging the strengths of the other.
There are very few players that can match Westbrook's freak athleticism. Dame is not one one of them. Westbrook's court speed is ridiculous. Dame is a better half court player though.
