But I always heard that Dame can't play off the ball...
IMO, the way Dame is being utilized now is a lot different than he was to start the season. I was 'tracking' the touches numbers, and after about 7 games Dame was averaging around 73-74 touches a game, IIRC. Now he is averaging 87 touches a game
what I've seen is that for the first part of the season there were times when another Blazer would bring the ball up the court, Dame would be off the ball, and he'd never touch the ball. Now, he's usually the 2nd or 3rd touch. Portland is making sure he's a primary ball-handler on most possessions instead of a secondary one on some possessions
something else, comparing Dame's touch stats this season to his touch stats in 2020-21 (his last healthy season):
touches a game: 2021-22-->81.3....2022-23-->86.9
average seconds/touch: 2021-22-->6.16....2022-23-->4.83
average dribbles/touch: 2021-22-->5.62....2022-23-->4.12
maybe he's dribbling less and holding the ball less because he's getting the ball later in the shot clock, so more urgency. Or maybe it's because the
it's-my-turn/it's-your-turn dynamic with CJ isn't present anymore (by the way, Simons is actually averaging more seconds and dribbles per touch than Dame)
* in 2020-21, only 5.2% of Dame's shots were spot-up; this year it's 7.9%...still very low. Dame is in the 91st percentile in spot-up averaging 1.30 points. 17% of Ant's shots are spot-up and he's averaging 1.09 points which is the 66th percentile. 28% of Grant's shots are spot-up; he's averaging 1.18 points which is the 77th percentile (
I would have guessed the reverse of that before the season)
* Dame is averaging 4.8 catch-&-shoot shots this season. An eFG of 55.2%. By the way, Simons was elite last year with a .712 eFG%. This season he's at .592. Likely was a lot easier last season when he was 'the man' and the games didn't matter
* I also noticed that earlier in the season, Dame's assist rate was at an 8 year low around 28%. It's currently at 34.7%, which happens to be a career high
# Dame's assisted FG rate this season is 38.1%; and his assisted rate on three's is 50%. In 2020-21 his rates were 27.6% on FG's and 37.1% on three's. In 2019-20 his assisted rates were 18.1% on FG's and 30.2% on three's. I think this is the biggest change in Dame's game; he doesn't have to create a high percentage of his own offense while also creating for his teammates. He has less of a burden this season
in other words, I'd dispute that Dame is really playing off the ball more. His touches are at a career high and his assist rate is at a career high as well. He also has the highest FT rate of his career. All that requires the ball in his hands. But he's getting the ball in different positions on the floor than before, and he's getting the ball when the offense is already in motion, rather than having to initiate that motion himself
it also helps that Cronin actually added players that can pass. In 2020-21, Blazers had 3 rotational players with an assist rate of 12% or better. This season they have 7
