Is Lillard having a sophomore slump?

[Wizard Mentor]

I think Lillard can and will be the one Blazer who really kicks it up a notch in the playoffs. It will be awesome to watch.

 

[magnifier661]

I think Lillard can and will be the one Blazer who really kicks it up a notch in the playoffs. It will be awesome to watch.

100% agree. He's soooo competitive and smart. I can't imagine the damage he can do when he's playing the same team 4-7 times in a row

 

[tlongII]

I think he just needs to get more respect from the refs. That will come with time I believe. His FG% is down because it counts as a shot attempt every time he drives and gets hacked.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think he just needs to get more respect from the refs. That will come with time I believe. His FG% is down because it counts as a shot attempt every time he drives and gets hacked.

Pretty much.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

As I was about to say before my computer decided to do it's updates.

I have concerns about Damian overall (Concerns of being limited) but I'm not concerned about what we are seeing or the lack of what we are seeing from him at the moment. I'm just glad enough that he has the IQ to not force it. And he's not, he has staying within the team concept, being patient and waiting for the opportunities when they rise. When they have become available, he's delivered. In the end, he will get it figured out. He's a pro and has good coaching.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think some of the blame has to be on Stotts.

He has completely changed how he handles Lillard's minutes. Last year Dame would play 38+ minutes per game. He had no fear of coming out because our backups were beyond horrible.

Right now I feel like the rotation is messing with his rhythm. At one point last night Mo Williams had played more minutes than Damian Lillard. That should NEVER happen. Stotts needs to leave him in more so he can find a rhythm and work through his problems.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Right now I feel like the rotation is messing with his rhythm. At one point last night Mo Williams had played more minutes than Damian Lillard. That should NEVER happen.

To be fair, that point coincided with Mo playing much better than Lillard for the first time this season.

 

[PapaG]

I'm not thrilled with Stotts sub pattern for Dame. It seems like Lillard has a hard time finding a rhythm.

That sub pattern is part of a 19-4 start. Why criticize Stotts for it?

 

[PapaG]

I think some of the blame has to be on Stotts.

He has completely changed how he handles Lillard's minutes. Last year Dame would play 38+ minutes per game. He had no fear of coming out because our backups were beyond horrible.

Right now I feel like the rotation is messing with his rhythm. At one point last night Mo Williams had played more minutes than Damian Lillard. That should NEVER happen. Stotts needs to leave him in more so he can find a rhythm and work through his problems.

Lillard's PER is up almost 3 points compared to last season. Perhaps the rest is helping his overall game, and keeping him fresh late in games.

What are we blaming Stotts for, again?

 

[Natebishop3]

That sub pattern is part of a 19-4 start. Why criticize Stotts for it?

Because Lillard is a critical part of our success going forward, and it's obvious that his shooting is much worse this season. My theory is that he's having trouble getting into a rhythm, which is a result of how Stotts is managing his time.

The answer to every problem isn't "19-4".

Don't you think the team would be even better if Lillard was shooting a decent percentage?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Because Lillard is a critical part of our success going forward, and it's obvious that his shooting is much worse this season. My theory is that he's having trouble getting into a rhythm, which is a result of how Stotts is managing his time.

The answer to every problem isn't "19-4".

Don't you think the team would be even better if Lillard was shooting a decent percentage?

Thinking specifically about our 4 losses, our team would only have a better record if Lillard played better defense, stopping Dragic a bit better. I agree the team is better if all the players are better individually, but this season, Lillard's shooting hasn't been the guiding factor in our losses (just a hunch; I'll check stats in a minute).

 

[Natebishop3]

Thinking specifically about our 4 losses, our team would only have a better record if Lillard played better defense, stopping Dragic a bit better. I agree the team is better if all the players are better individually, but this season, Lillard's shooting hasn't been the guiding factor in our losses (just a hunch; I'll check stats in a minute).

I don't think it's a guiding factor by any means, no. And he's only had a handful of truly horrible performances (Sac, last night, and I think one other game.) I just feel like we will need Lillard at his best if we hope to sustain this kind of winning, and for any real success in the playoffs. Dame and LA will need to be firing on all cylinders during the playoffs. I would like to see Lillard's shooting woes addressed sooner rather than later, and if it has something to do with when he rests, I would like to see that remedied.

 

[blue9]

Another point to think about is that if Lillard were shooting better perhaps we'd be blowing teams out more often, which would (a) give our starters more rest and (b) get our bench guys more PT so they'll be in a better position to succeed on the floor later in the season.

It's definitely worth considering if Stotts' use of Lillard is part of the reason he's not shooting well. It's entirely reasonable to suggest that a player can't get into the proper rhythm when playing shorter stints. Maybe it's not the cause, but to just dismiss it entirely shows a complete lack of thought.

From a W/L perspective there isn't much room for improvement. But we can't use that to sweep our problems under a rug. There's always room for improvement.

 

[PapaG]

Lillard is shooting better from 3-point (41% vs. 37%) and the FT line (92% vs. 85%) this year. His PER/36 numbers are better in scoring and rebounding than last year. Assists are basically a wash (5.6 vs. 6.0).

The only thing "wrong" with him is he is missing layups while getting hammered at the rim. That will be corrected. Whining about Lillard's sub pattern, when everything but 2-pt shooting is improved over last year, is just an odd thing to me. Thow in that the team is 1/2 game out of the best record in the NBA a quarter way through the season, and it appears like some people are just looking for small things to complain about. I blame that more on the general pattern of those posters than I do the pattern of Stotts/Lillard in terms of rest.

 

[Natebishop3]

Lillard is shooting better from 3-point and the FT line this year. His PER/36 numbers are betting in scoring and rebounding than last year. Assists are basically a wash.

The only thing "wrong" with him is he is missing layups while getting hammered at the rim. That will be corrected. Whining about Lillard's sub patter, when everything but 2-pt shooting is better than last year, is just an odd thing to me.

It's not whining. It's an observation that I want to discuss. You think it's impossible that his sub-pattern is messing with his rhythm?

 

[blue9]

The only thing "wrong" with him is he is missing layups while getting hammered at the rim.

Getting hammered? Hardly, and rarely. He's throwing up garbage and being well defended.
I don't see anybody whining in this thread - unless it's you regarding others discussing their ideas and observations.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Lillard is shooting better from 3-point (41% vs. 37%) and the FT line (92% vs. 85%) this year. His PER/36 numbers are better in scoring and rebounding than last year. Assists are basically a wash (5.6 vs. 6.0).

The only thing "wrong" with him is he is missing layups while getting hammered at the rim. That will be corrected. Whining about Lillard's sub pattern, when everything but 2-pt shooting is improved over last year, is just an odd thing to me. Thow in that the team is 1/2 game out of the best record in the NBA a quarter way through the season, and it appears like some people are just looking for small things to complain about. I blame that more on the general pattern of those posters than I do the pattern of Stotts/Lillard in terms of rest.

He doesn't really draw a lot of contact at the rim.

 

[PapaG]

Getting hammered? Hardly, and rarely. He's throwing up garbage and being well defended.
I don't see anybody whining in this thread - unless it's you regarding others discussing their ideas and observations.

I consider criticizing Stotts for his substitution pattern 'whining', especially since Lillard's game is better in every aspect except one (2pt shooting) this year. He's at 40% FG for the year, compared to 43% for last year, so that's not even that big of a drop-off.

Some of you just need things to complain about, and won't budge off of a silly opinion when presented statistics that seemingly disprove.

Or, is only a lower FG% attributable to Stotts and how he uses Lillard, and all of the improvements in his game in spite of the substitution pattern?

 

[Natebishop3]

I consider criticizing Stotts for his substitution pattern 'whining', especially since Lillard's game is better in every aspect except one (2pt shooting) this year. He's at 40% FG for the year, compared to 43% for last year, so that's not even that big of a drop-off.

Some of you just need things to complain about, and won't budge off of a silly opinion when presented statistics that seemingly disprove.

Or, is only a lower FG% attributable to Stotts and how he uses Lillard, and all of the improvements in his game in spite of the substitution pattern?

Shooting is a rhythm thing, no?

That's what I'm attributing to his sub-pattern.

Honest question, do you think that nothing negative should be said about the team while they're winning? I've noticed that there are a handful of posters (not saying you) who will aggressively attack anything negative that's posted about the team. I get it, we're doing very VERY well right now. 19-4 is amazing and far better than I ever expected at this point, but why is it so bad to also point out some of things that the team needs to work on or improve upon?

We have the best record in the west right now, and I'm very excited about that, but I also want to see us continue to have the best record AND I want to see us do well in the playoffs. I'm concerned about our bench and about Lillard's shooting. For sustainable success I think we need a decent bench AND we need Dame to get his shooting up. Just my two cents.

 

[PapaG]

Shooting is a rhythm thing, no?

That's what I'm attributing to his sub-pattern.

He's shooting better from three this year and from the FT line. Or are only 2-pt attempts impacted by Stotts and his shitty substitution pattern for Lillard? That seems to be what you're saying, isn't it?

Honest question, do you think that nothing negative should be said about the team while they're winning? I've noticed that there are a handful of posters (not saying you) who will aggressively attack anything negative that's posted about the team. I get it, we're doing very VERY well right now. 19-4 is amazing and far better than I ever expected at this point, but why is it so bad to also point out some of things that the team needs to work on or improve upon?

There are things to criticize, sure. Basing your criticism on a flimsy foundation (shooting is rhythm, yet Lillard is shooting better from 3-pt and FT), and adamantly sticking to it when shown the inconsistency in that thinking, shows me it's more about the poster than the actual argument.

We have the best record in the west right now, and I'm very excited about that, but I also want to see us continue to have the best record AND I want to see us do well in the playoffs. I'm concerned about our bench and about Lillard's shooting. For sustainable success I think we need a decent bench AND we need Dame to get his shooting up. Just my two cents.

You're concerned about Lillard's 2-point shooting. I'd rather he be up 4% on threes, 7% on FT, and down 7% on twos than up 7 on twos, while being down 4 on 3s and FT, as should anyone.

 

[Natebishop3]

He's shooting better from three this year and from the FT line. Or are only 2-pt attempts impacted by Stotts and his shitty substitution pattern for Lillard? That seems to be what you're saying, isn't it?



There are things to criticize, sure. Basing your criticism on a flimsy foundation (shooting is rhythm, yet Lillard is shooting better from 3-pt and FT), and adamantly sticking to it when shown the inconsistency in that thinking, shows me it's more about the poster than the actual argument.



You're concerned about Lillard's 2-point shooting. I'd rather he be up 4% on threes, 7% on FT, and down 7% on twos than up 7 on twos, while being down 4 on 3s and FT, as should anyone.

I'm just trying to think of explanations for his poor FG%.

The concerning thing is that we were hoping Dame would expand his offensive game this year. It seems like he's either shooting threes or trying to get into the paint. We saw him try to use a floater early on that he seems to have gone away from, and he doesn't seem to really shoot many mid-rangers, so most of his 2-point attempts are at the rim.

He's actually shooting less 2 pointers this year. 8.8 this year compared to 9.6 last year. He's shooting slightly more threes per game though. Teams, like Houston, can take away that three pointer and then he's left with what? A game where Dame goes 1-10, and 1-4 from deep.

Last year it seemed like he attempted more mid-range jumpers. Is there any way to look that up?

 

[B-Roy]

I'm just trying to think of explanations for his poor FG%.

The concerning thing is that we were hoping Dame would expand his offensive game this year. It seems like he's either shooting threes or trying to get into the paint. We saw him try to use a floater early on that he seems to have gone away from, and he doesn't seem to really shoot many mid-rangers, so most of his 2-point attempts are at the rim.

He's actually shooting less 2 pointers this year. 8.8 this year compared to 9.6 last year. He's shooting slightly more threes per game though. Teams, like Houston, can take away that three pointer and then he's left with what? A game where Dame goes 1-10, and 1-4 from deep.

Last year it seemed like he attempted more mid-range jumpers. Is there any way to look that up?

http://stats.nba.com/leaguePlayerShots.html?pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25

You can calculate %s yourself if you really want to.

 

[noknobs]

http://stats.nba.com/leaguePlayerShots.html?pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25

You can calculate %s yourself if you really want to.

So of all the shots he takes 24 ft and in, the percentage of shots he takes per range is:

Under 5ft: 43.7% (last year 37.6%)
5-9ft: 9% (last year 4.6%)
10-14ft: 4.5% (last year 5.8%)
15-19 ft: 8.6% (last year 15.7%)
20-24 ft: 34.3% (last year 36.2%)

Much less mid-range shots but that wasn't a big part of his game either year.

 

[Natebishop3]

So of all the shots he takes 24 ft and in, the percentage of shots he takes per range is:

Under 5ft: 43.7% (last year 37.6%)
5-9ft: 9% (last year 4.6%)
10-14ft: 4.5% (last year 5.8%)
15-19 ft: 8.6% (last year 15.7%)
20-24 ft: 34.3% (last year 36.2%)

Much less mid-range shots but that wasn't a big part of his game either year.

I'm okay with him not shooting those jumpers that are really close to the three point line, but I'd like to see him shoot some more of those 10-15 footers. They're hard to defend and they're a much easier shot to make. It's nice to see that his under 5 ft shots are quite a bit better.

 

[PapaG]

I'm okay with him not shooting those jumpers that are really close to the three point line, but I'd like to see him shoot some more of those 10-15 footers. They're hard to defend and they're a much easier shot to make. It's nice to see that his under 5 ft shots are quite a bit better.

I'm surprised about that stat, and will admit I was wrong in him missing more shots at the rim. See, that was easy.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm surprised about that stat, and will admit I was wrong in him missing more shots at the rim. See, that was easy.

..... what?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

..... what?

He said:

"I'M SURPRISED ABOUT THAT STAT, AND WILL ADMIT I WAS WRONG IN HIM MISSING MORE SHOTS AT THE RIM. SEE, THAT WAS EASY."

 

[Strenuus]

He said:

"I'M SURPRISED ABOUT THAT STAT, AND WILL ADMIT I WAS WRONG IN HIM MISSING MORE SHOTS AT THE RIM. SEE, THAT WAS EASY."

Now... Bold it.

 

[Natebishop3]

Now... Bold it.

~ By Ben Golliver.

 

[noknobs]

I'm okay with him not shooting those jumpers that are really close to the three point line, but I'd like to see him shoot some more of those 10-15 footers. They're hard to defend and they're a much easier shot to make. It's nice to see that his under 5 ft shots are quite a bit better.

Apologies if my post was unclear.

The 43.7% isn't his FG%, that means that 43.7% of his shots are from that range. So while he's taking a larger proportion of his shots from that range, his FG% is only 38.5% this year from 5ft and in, compared to last years 51.2%.