Rastapopoulos
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"Defenses Throw Everything At Damian Lillard. He Just Finds New Ways To Score"
- Thread starter Rastapopoulos
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Cugel
The epitome of mediocrity
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Dame is screened so high because Terry doesn't do anything to fix it. Have another player with skills bring the ball up then screen for Dame for a 3. Fixed. Why the insistence that Dame bring up the ball on every possession? Make defences pay for what they do. Terry rewards them by having Dame bring it up everytime.
Natebishop3
Don't tread on me!
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Yup. Nate McMillan did the same thing with Roy. Drove me nuts.
"hey defenses, here's a free opportunity to trap our star player!"
wizenheimer
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I don't believe that's accurate. I've seen CJ bring the ball up a lot; Hood brought the ball up often when he was on the floor. Simons has too. And Melo will bring the ball up. That's not really an issue IMO
the issues arise because when another player than Dame brings the ball up the offense tends to bog down more or take quick shots. CJ will decide to call his own number in iso quite often. Hood and Simons will make poor initiation passes. Melo will be paying attention to his legacy. At least when the ball is in Dame's hands the other Blazers on the floor can have some confidence they'll receive a pass if they have a scoring opportunity. That's not to say Dame always makes perfect decisions and never displays bad shot selection. But the offense does run better
another issue is that Portland runs almost no off the ball action for Dame. There are few screens and back cuts; almost no curling around picks to a spot-up. The play is just 'have Dame wind around on that primitive perimeter weave, then go get the ball, then score or set up somebody'. It's remedial offense 101
wizenheimer
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I agree
trouble is, Dame is doubled and trapped at such a high rate because it works; it completely befuddles the Blazers way too often and way too much. Part of that is because it's easier to successfully double a 6'2 player than a 6'7 or 6'9 player. Basketball is still a game where length and size important. It's also successful because the Blazers have nobody on the roster that can take the ball and punish a defense with any consistency in a 4-on-3 situation. That's been obvious for at least 7 seasons. CJ can't do it; three point shooters won't do it; a healthy Nurkic won't do it. And I know a theory is that all those things together might do it, but I don't believe it. They have been in place before and it didn't matter
as long as Dame is the only elite talent and scorer, AND the only player that can consistently run an offense, good teams will double him when the stakes are high....like the playoffs
Pinwheel1
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They could just as easily trap CJ. I think Terry is well aware of having that 3rd ball handler. That is why he was desperately hoping ET, or Mario, or Hood would work out, or one of his many 3 guard lineups. Plumlee helped a little. Maybe Powell is the answer, but I think that is why they had an interest in Gordon.
AldoTrapani
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Yet Dame loves his coaching and goes beyond to protect him
illmatic99
formerly yuyuza1
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He's the best pick and roll player in the game. Criminally underrated
KSF-ERIC
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Plumlee helped a lot. We won the Clippers series by running almost everything through him. We should try that with Nurk.
blazerkor
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You would have him be a coach killer. The fact is the organization needs to hire a real GM, with a backbone, instead of the used car salesman they have. That GM can sit Dame down and explain to Dame that while the team values Dame more than anyone else that he (the GM) is going to do what's best for the team and that he hopes Dame will embrace the new players around him. Dame can either go completely against brand and demand a trade or say (as he does all of the time) that it's a business and after nine seasons with Terry and CJ without a finals appearance or even a conference finals win... that he gets it. If he demands a trade then he was not here for the city or the organization. It won't make me dislike the guy but it will make me feel like he was putting on a little of a performance... I don't think he is.
Dame has shown that he thinks it's his job to support everyone around him, while doing everything he can personally on the court to win. The guy is grateful for those who he sees as reasons for his success. Put new people around him that make him better on both ends of the court and he'll be loyal and grateful to them too.
Or he demands a trade and you get your wish. We hit reset. Any way you look at it... if we haven't gone further than we've gone under Neil and Terry before, by the end of this season... Neil has to go before draft day and then Terry will almost definitely follow.