Official Rising Stars Challenge Game Thread 2/15/2013 6pm PT

[NOVoodoo]

Even Chris Webber doesn't know who James White is.. So many people are going to be shocked tomorrow night.

I don't get how your job can be covering hoops and you don't know James White. The guy's been around for forever. He was one of the top recruits out of HS, a McDonald's All-American, played for two different high-major colleges, and was the first pick in the second round. It's not like he's coming out of nowhere.

 

[Sinobas]

How is Damian better than Damon? He's taller, and a better finisher at the rim, but he's predominantly a jump shooter like Damon was, and a mediocre athlete. Damon was actually a better 3pt shooter than Lillard has been this year. Damon averaged 9.3 assists his rookie year to Damians 6.5.

Damian has been a master floor general who creates easy shots for his teammates....oh wait no he doesn't.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Damian's a mediocre athlete? Compared to what? Not only is he quick, strong, and a good leaper, he also has amazing endurance.

 

[HailBlazers]

Didn't that Faried guy almost play for us?

The RS Challenge MVP? Yea we almost did, but we effectively traded him and Andre Miller for Ray Ray Felton and Nolan Smitty

 

[Natebishop3]

How is Damian better than Damon? He's taller, and a better finisher at the rim, but he's predominantly a jump shooter like Damon was, and a mediocre athlete. Damon was actually a better 3pt shooter than Lillard has been this year. Damon averaged 9.3 assists his rookie year to Damians 6.5.

Damian has been a master floor general who creates easy shots for his teammates....oh wait no he doesn't.

Nobody ever called Damian the second coming of Jason Kidd or Magic Johnson.

You call him a mediocre athlete, did you see his alley oop dunk in the rookie/soph game? Maybe my memory is leaving me, but I don't remember Damon ever dunking it, let alone catching an alley-oop.

You said that Damon was considered a good player until he "came to a talented team and was exposed." So by your rationale, Damian is already better than Damon because he is on a talented team and putting up good numbers for a rookie.

Take a look at the 1996 Toronto Raptors and tell me who on that team is comparable to Aldridge? Who is comparable to Batum?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/TOR/1996.html

 

[julius]

3 all stars and the team shouldn't be 3 games below .500?

The Lakers called and said your logic is missing.

 

[Sinobas]

His numbers for this current squad are not really better than Damon's, he's just putting up more shots. I said he has an edge in scoring inside, but we've all seen his offensive game is dominated by the jump shot. And he's only shooting 35% from 3pt range...very mediocre. He's not been much of a floor general either. He's also a known liability on defense.

But hey, maybe he would get more assists if our team wasn't full of a bunch of pussies who just want to jack up 3pt shots. Hickson is the only player on the team that wants to get inside and bang, but he's the last option on offense.

And our team is not talented. LA is good, the rest of our starters are average, and the bench sucks. To me, it looks like this team will be stuck in mediocrity for a long time.

And BTW, Batum is Walt Williams on that Toronto team.

 

[Natebishop3]

Damian Lillard - mediocre athlete

[video=youtube;XJUVlPQZqVY]

[video=youtube;vRdbBpRLyHA]

[video=youtube;j0uX820eRZQ]

 

[RR7]

lol, what a thread. Really? somebody drink too much?

 

[Sinobas]

3 all stars and the team shouldn't be 3 games below .500?

The Lakers called and said your logic is missing.

No its not. They don't deserve to make the the all-star game if they can't bring their team above .500. If you have a quarter of the best players in the conference on your team, you wouldn't be sub .500.

 

[Natebishop3]

His numbers for this current squad are not really better than Damon's, he's just putting up more shots.

Damian Lillard - 15.5 FGA

Damon Stoudamire - 16.1 FGA

And Batum is Walt Williams? Come on......

 

[THE HCP]

No its not. They don't deserve to make the the all-star game if they can't bring their team above .500. If you have a quarter of the best players in the conference on your team, you wouldn't be sub .500.

Everybody is allowed to express their opinion, but you my friend are way off.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Lillard has been underwhelming lately. He shot 60% in the Miami game, but I'm guessing this was a chip on his shoulder after his record setting (embarrassing) play the night before in Orlando. He came back to earth in New Orleans.

He hit the rookie wall face first.

His 1-16 FG is an NBA record for a rookie who shot more than 10 FGA in a game. He's the first rookie that a coach allowed to chuck after missing 10 straight.

Hopefully he'll pick up his play next week.

 

[Sinobas]

Nate, summer league schmummer league. He's not in the upper echelon of NBA athletes and doesn't take it inside much. Guys like Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker for example, makes almost twice as many shots at the rim each game as Damian.

 

[Sinobas]

Hey, Walt Williams was a pretty good bench player. Take a look at his stats in Toronto, the year before we got him. Remember Bill Schonley would always say, "That's why we got him!" after he made a 3. Look at his career stats, he had years very similar to Batum, even surpassing him in many areas. His last year in Portland he shot 43% from 3pt range. Both of their offensive games was mostly long jumpshots. Blazer fans are really scraping too hard for something to cheer about.

Almost all Batum does on offense is jack up 3s, and he's shooting a very average rate, like Lillard. That is one of the core problems in this team, in love with the 3pt shot, but 3rd worst in the league at it.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Lillard has been underwhelming lately. He shot 60% in the Miami game, but I'm guessing this was a chip on his shoulder after his record setting (embarrassing) play the night before in Orlando. He came back to earth in New Orleans.

He hit the rookie wall face first.

His 1-16 FG is an NBA record for a rookie who shot more than 10 FGA in a game. He's the first rookie that a coach allowed to chuck after missing 10 straight.

Hopefully he'll pick up his play next week.

Let's put this wailing and gnashing of teeth in perspective. Answer me this:

So, is Lillard garbage?

And yes, I mean overal, and I mean yes or nol. I don't mean one game, or ten games. Is Lillard a garbage player?

The answer is pretty self-apparent.

 

[julius]

I think a lot of why certain players 3 point shooting %'s look good is because they were during the era where the league (stupidly) shortened the three point line.

Not sure why you're making the arguments you're making, but whatever.

 

[EGame]

lol people trashing Lillard because of a useless game? Aldridge may not score much in the all-star game, does that make him a crappy PF?

 

[Sinobas]

Many Blazer fans want to blame the bench for everything, but we've seen the starters come out and fall way behind plenty of times as well. The bench is bad, but it's not like we're just a 6th man a way from being a team that has a legit shot and getting out of the 1st round.

Julius, the Blazers rank 4th in the league in 3pts attempted and 27th in 3pt %. It's not a statement about the NBA, but abot the Blazers. Matthews, Lillard and Batum came into the league long after the 3pt line was shortened.

 

[Sinobas]

I don't think Damian is bad, but some Blazer fans are acting like we drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams. I don't understand what all the hype is about. He may win rookie of the year because of his numbers, but so did Damon. He'll be a very solid starter for us for years to come, but if this team ever wants to get out of the 1st round they need some players that actually make an impact. Not pussies that sit around and jack up 3s all the time.

 

[julius]

Julius, the Blazers rank 4th in the league in 3pts attempted and 27th in 3pt %. It's not a statement about the NBA, but abot the Blazers. Matthews, Lillard and Batum came into the league long after the 3pt line was shortened.

gee, no shit. Thanks, I wasn't able to tell the difference between 22 feet and a perfect circle 3 point line and the current 3 point line.

Gosh, thanks for correcting what I was referring to.

 

[Sinobas]

I grew up watching Clyde, Porter, Kersey, Williams, those guys actually played with fire and heart. Matthews is really the only player on this team with much heart, but he doesn't have the talent. I'm just saying, this team will never make it out of the 1st round.

The Blazers have been out of the first round how many times since they lost to the Bulls in 1992? 2 times in 20 years? This collection of players is only superior to the bottom feeders we had during the Randolph era.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I don't think Damian is bad, but some Blazer fans are acting like we drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams. I don't understand what all the hype is about. He may win rookie of the year because of his numbers, but so did Damon. He'll be a very solid starter for us for years to come, but if this team ever wants to get out of the 1st round they need some players that actually make an impact. Not pussies that sit around and jack up 3s all the time.

So in your opinion Damian Lillard is a pussy. Good to know.

 

[julius]

I grew up watching Clyde, Porter, Kersey, Williams, those guys actually played with fire and heart. Matthews is really the only player on this team with much heart, but he doesn't have the talent. I'm just saying, this team will never make it out of the 1st round.

The Blazers have been out of the first round how many times since they lost to the Bulls in 1992? 2 times in 20 years? This collection of players is only superior to the bottom feeders we had during the Randolph era.

The Blazers of the 80's got out of the 1st round twice.

so let's not go acting like their shit didn't stink too.

 

[julius]

I don't think Damian is bad, but some Blazer fans are acting like we drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

go look at Deron William rookie #'s.

then get back to this thread.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

http://stats.nba.com/playerShotchart.html?PlayerID=203081 Lillard's shot chart. Yeah, a lot of threes, but he's taken 237 shots within 8 feet of the basket. 33% of his shots are inside the key.

Also interesting, when you look at Effective FG% (accounting for 3 pointers being worth 3 points), his most effective shot is the one he takes the most.

http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.ht...=&DateTo=&SeasonSegment=&Month=0&LastNGames=0

 

[MickZagger]

Lillard has been underwhelming lately. He shot 60% in the Miami game, but I'm guessing this was a chip on his shoulder after his record setting (embarrassing) play the night before in Orlando. He came back to earth in New Orleans.

He hit the rookie wall face first.

His 1-16 FG is an NBA record for a rookie who shot more than 10 FGA in a game. He's the first rookie that a coach allowed to chuck after missing 10 straight.

Hopefully he'll pick up his play next week.

Stop while your ahead.

 

[Sinobas]

http://stats.nba.com/playerShotchart.html?PlayerID=203081 Lillard's shot chart. Yeah, a lot of threes, but he's taken 237 shots within 8 feet of the basket. 33% of his shots are inside the key.

Also interesting, when you look at Effective FG% (accounting for 3 pointers being worth 3 points), his most effective shot is the one he takes the most.

http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.ht...=&DateTo=&SeasonSegment=&Month=0&LastNGames=0

Ha! Sounds like you're trying to spin things like a politician. Over half the teams in the league shoot a higher % from 3pt range, as a team, than Damian does by himself.

 

[Sinobas]

go look at Deron William rookie #'s.

then get back to this thread.

Who cares what his rookie numbers were? Is Damian on Deron's level now? The fact is, most players don't elevate their game to an elite level, that's why the elite are called elite. Imagining a player will reach that level is wishful thinking. Right now, Damian is a mediocre PG.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Ha! Sounds like you're trying to spin things like a politician. Over half the teams in the league shoot a higher % from 3pt range, as a team, than Damian does by himself.

Indeed, the league average 3% shooting is 0.7% higher than Lillard's.