Lillard's star is fading fast

[magnifier661]

Honestly, Dame does need to be called out. He wanted the limelight, then he must take the lumps. He doesn't get a pass. I'm sorry

 

[Kaydow]

No, it was about the time he whined because the coaches didn't originally vote him into the AS game. I'm a huge Dame fan, but I think he's got a fragile ego. Chris Paul abused him a couple times as well and he hasn't been the same. He needs to get the swagger back, like now, or we can pack our bags and start dreaming about next year.

You're spot on with the timing. Back in January when that all went down he had been killing it. Triple OT game at SA, the comeback at OKC. Can't blame him for feeling like he was snubbed. That whole All Star fiasco was brutal. Adidas releasing his Signature Shoe with special All Star color way . . . assuming like we all did that he'd be on that roster. He vowed to prove his doubters wrong & it hasn't gone according to script. What has happened since has humbled him & I think he'll learn from it. He'll get it back. Does anybody think he's really been exposed?

 

[Strenuus]

Then he must use that penetration to open the lanes, punish the help defender by dishing it to them for a slam, or utilize that mid range jumper.

You can beat Memphis with 2's. The 3 ball has made teams lazy because they think they can make up big points with threes. If Stotts started punishing teams from 2, then the three will open up.

Stotts entire offense:

Iso LMA

Dame bail out

Dame drive and kick and hope we hit a 3

If we are 2 out of 3 on that, we win.

Thing is, two out of those 3 are predicated on things this team does not do consistently.

 

[Strenuus]

You're spot on with the timing. Back in January when that all went down he had been killing it. Triple OT game at SA, the comeback at OKC. Can't blame him for feeling like he was snubbed. That whole All Star fiasco was brutal. Adidas releasing his Signature Shoe with special All Star color way . . . assuming like we all did that he'd be on that roster. He vowed to prove his doubters wrong & it hasn't gone according to script. What has happened since has humbled him & I think he'll learn from it. He'll get it back. Does anybody think he's really been exposed?

The ones that have been waiting 3 years to talk about how they were right all along are having a field day.

They just forgot they had to wait 3 years, which completely nullifies the argument. lol.

 

[Kaydow]

Then he must use that penetration to open the lanes, punish the help defender by dishing it to them for a slam, or utilize that mid range jumper.

You can beat Memphis with 2's. The 3 ball has made teams lazy because they think they can make up big points with threes. If Stotts started punishing teams from 2, then the three will open up.

That is exactly the adjustment I think he will make in game 2. He was able to get around Conley and even Allen but he kept surging to the rim where he was met by Gasol and Co. Several times he could have pulled up for an open 15' jumper. You hit about 5 of those and they stop running so hard over the top of screens. Then, bang, bang, couple of 3s open up.

 

[PTBfanEST87]

You're spot on with the timing. Back in January when that all went down he had been killing it. Triple OT game at SA, the comeback at OKC. Can't blame him for feeling like he was snubbed. That whole All Star fiasco was brutal. Adidas releasing his Signature Shoe with special All Star color way . . . assuming like we all did that he'd be on that roster. He vowed to prove his doubters wrong & it hasn't gone according to script. What has happened since has humbled him & I think he'll learn from it. He'll get it back. Does anybody think he's really been exposed?

I don't know if he got exposed but what really did it was game 1. I think that opened a lot of eyes for people. Before game 1 he got a decent amount of pass from a lot of folks I think the natural thinking was the playoffs is a new season, a new start and that everything will be ok.

I don't really mind his huge drop off like that perhaps it makes him slightly cheaper this offseason plus it might humble him a little which will in part make him work on his game more. The only big problem I have with it is LA.

Now what does LA have to do with it? I just wish he continued to be dame that we know so LA can really be enticed not to leave. At the end
Of the day it's hard to leave a young superstar who continues to flourish. I still remember what LA said after the big game Lillard had agasint the Lakers, that sometimes he just wants to sit back and grab some popcorn to watch Lillard kill like that. Ironically it was around that time Lillard fell off from a cliff..

 

[jlprk]

Honestly, Dame does need to be called out.

It's the new Mags! Tough guy! What happened to you Magging out?

This season, Lillard finished with a team-leading 97 steals, 33 more than he had last season. For context, only three Blazers players in the last 11 seasons have recorded 100 steals - Wesley Matthews (twice), Andre Miller and Ruben Patterson

That's because for the last 11 seasons, individual Blazers have absolutely sucked at steals.

http://bkref.com/tiny/AQCHh

You see that the Oregonian is wrong. Matthews is on the list once, not twice.

 

[dreamcloud]

We need this Lillard back, only a few months back this season he was doing this kind of stuff:



Let's not forget what Dame is capable of...

 

[Shooter]

My God, I would give anything to see that version of Lillard in this series.

 

[Boardin'Blazer]

Stotts entire offense:

Iso LMA

Dame bail out

Dame drive and kick and hope we hit a 3

If we are 2 out of 3 on that, we win.

Thing is, two out of those 3 are predicated on things this team does not do consistently.

I wish Stotts would create some more off ball screen plays that setup our guards for open shots. Something like the clippers run a lot for Reddick or the Warriors run for Curry and Thompson.

 

[Strenuus]

I wish Stotts would create some more off ball screen plays that setup our guards for open shots. Something like the clippers run a lot for Reddick or the Warriors run for Curry and Thompson.

Funny enough, I think Wes was that guy. Batum could be too, but Stotts likes him as more of a facilitator for the pick and roll or to just run the offense... but I think Batum could be that guy... and Wes is that guy, but we need Batum to fill that void.

 

[Sinobas]

I'm normally not a fan of the LA iso mid range jumper either, but in game 1, absolutely nothing was working and our only prayer was to have LA get hot like in the Houston series.

 

[cmeese47]

Udrih became the first player to record at least 20 points, seven assists and seven rebounds off the bench in the NBA playoff since Nick Van Exel in 2003.


Damn that's ridiculous. Point guards torch us.

To be fair 12 of those points came against Steve Blake. Thanks in large part to Wes' injury and Lillard late season regression this team was going to be in big trouble come the playoffs regardless.

Lillard just does not match up well with other good PG's. He gets abused by CP3, both on offense and defense, Steph Curry destroys him. He is struggling vs a banged up Conley and Udrih combo. For us to find success we needed to draw someone like Houston, Dallas or New Orleans. Hopefully Dame gets it going because this could remain a very one-sided match-up otherwise.

 

[Boardin'Blazer]

Funny enough, I think Wes was that guy. Batum could be too, but Stotts likes him as more of a facilitator for the pick and roll or to just run the offense... but I think Batum could be that guy... and Wes is that guy, but we need Batum to fill that void.

I agree Wes was definitely the guy that received these plays, but why cant Nic handle the ball and run these plays for Dame or even CJ. Guess I would just like to see more set plays for the long droughts of not scoring and when LA is not feeling it.

 

[blue32]

We need this Lillard back, only a few months back this season he was doing this kind of stuff:



Let's not forget what Dame is capable of...

This performance was amazing. I remember watching that. It looks like from this video to now, he's hurrying his long shot more; and not working on those drive pop-n-shoot.

 

[Strenuus]

I agree Wes was definitely the guy that received these plays, but why cant Nic handle the ball and run these plays for Dame or even CJ. Guess I would just like to see more set plays for the long droughts of not scoring and when LA is not feeling it.

I hear ya. CJ would be a good candidate for it, but he's just too 'green' still. He's better at creating his own shot than coming off the ball, IMO.