So how close is Damion Lillard to unseating Terry Porter now?...

[BigGameDamian]

Does this season put him any closer among the Blazers great point guards?

 

[magnifier661]

How about we have a few more seasons. Right now, Lillard isn't even at the level of Damon. A few more healthy seasons and we can really have this discussion

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I think with some hard work and a little luck Lillard may someday surpass the great Steve Blake.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

1 conference finals appearance.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

1 conference finals appearance.

Not two finals appearances?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Not two finals appearances?

absolutely not. TP doesn't have the rookie records Lillard has. One will do it.

 

[ebott]

He's no where close. Terry Porter was so good that he ranks as numbers one through five on the top ten Blazer point guards of all time.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Not to go all Rastapopulous on the thread, but rookie records mean precisely dick the second the rookie season is over. I'm of the opinion that he won't unseat Terry until we get to the Finals. And you know what? I think he'll do it.

 

[Boise Blazer]

The thought of Damian Lillard in the playoffs, much less the finals, makes me smile from ear to ear. I love how I have NO DOUBT that this guy will blow up in the playoffs.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

The thought of Damian Lillard in the playoffs, much less the finals, makes me smile from ear to ear. I love how I have NO DOUBT that this guy will blow up in the playoffs.

He sure seems to do better when the stakes are higher, huh?

 

[handiman]

I think regular season, post-rookie success will be plenty of a measuring stick. Lillard's teammates are nowhere near the caliber of Drexler/Kersey/Buck/Duck/Cliffy/Ainge. It's not fair to Lillard to base the comparison purely on team success.

 

[magnifier661]

I think regular season, post-rookie success will be plenty of a measuring stick. Lillard's teammates are nowhere near the caliber of Drexler/Kersey/Buck/Duck/Cliffy/Ainge. It's not fair to Lillard to base the comparison purely on team success.

I will kindly disagree. Aldridge is better than Buck Williams, Batum is better than Kersey. We just need Drexler. As for the bench... I wholeheartedly agree that they are nowhere near the bench of that team.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I will kindly disagree. Aldridge is better than Buck Williams, Batum is better than Kersey. We just need Drexler. As for the bench... I wholeheartedly agree that they are nowhere near the bench of that team.

Offensively they are better. But not defensively.

 

[magnifier661]

Offensively they are better. But not defensively.

I can agree on that.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Candace Buckner ‏@blazerbanter 18m
Damian Lillard is your lone unanimous First Team All-Rookie selection. (Lillard, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Dion Waiters, Harrison Barnes)

 

[Pinwheel1]

Candace Buckner ‏@blazerbanter 18m
Damian Lillard is your lone unanimous First Team All-Rookie selection. (Lillard, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Dion Waiters, Harrison Barnes)

So 5 out of the top 6 first round picks. (Minus Robinson)

 

[handiman]

I will kindly disagree. Aldridge is better than Buck Williams, Batum is better than Kersey. We just need Drexler. As for the bench... I wholeheartedly agree that they are nowhere near the bench of that team.

Uh, you can't be serious? Aldridge is much better than Buck offensively, but Buck was so far superior at defense and rebounding that I'm not sure there's a big advantage there. Kersey had way more impact than Batum, although I would agree that Batum could be better. As for Drexler, a top-50 all-time player is all we need??? [Sarcasm alert.] That's like saying the Pippen-led Bulls teams could have been unstoppable if only they had that one best player ever... You remove a guy like that from the equation and the rest of the comparison is a joke.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Uh, you can't be serious? Aldridge is much better than Buck offensively, but Buck was so far superior at defense and rebounding that I'm not sure there's a big advantage there. Kersey had way more impact than Batum, although I would agree that Batum could be better. As for Drexler, a top-50 all-time player is all we need??? [Sarcasm alert.] That's like saying the Pippen-led Bulls teams could have been unstoppable if only they had that one best player ever... You remove a guy like that from the equation and the rest of the comparison is a joke.

To be fair, a Pippen-led Bulls *is* a Jordan away from total dominance. Yes it's a no shit Sherlock situation but its also reality.

 

[Boise Blazer]

http://basketball.realgm.com/poll/227672

Which rookie from the 12-13 NBA season will ultimately be considered the best player?

 

[BigGameDamian]

To be fair, a Pippen-led Bulls *is* a Jordan away from total dominance. Yes it's a no shit Sherlock situation but its also reality.

If Pippen was just a role player than how come he did so well without Jordan?

 

[handiman]

To be fair, a Pippen-led Bulls *is* a Jordan away from total dominance. Yes it's a no shit Sherlock situation but its also reality.

But only with the benefit of hindsight. If Jordan was never on that team, just as a Drexler hasn't been on Lillard's team, it would be a pretty silly notion.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

If Pippen was just a role player than how come he did so well without Jordan?

The difference between doing well and being totally dominant is equal to the difference between Pete Myers and Michael Jordan (since everything else was the same). Which is to say that Jordan's supporting cast was really really good if you can win 55 games with Pete Myers.

However, you can't win a championship -- even with Pippen, Grant, Cartwright, and Armstrong -- if you have Pete Myers instead of Michael Jordan.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

But only with the benefit of hindsight. If Jordan was never on that team, just as a Drexler hasn't been on Lillard's team, it would be a pretty silly notion.

Only silly in that it sounds obvious. Because it is.

 

[OregonHuskerMan]

But only with the benefit of hindsight. If Jordan was never on that team, just as a Drexler hasn't been on Lillard's team, it would be a pretty silly notion.

EDit - stupuuddd

 

[BlazerWookee]

At least five or six years...

 

[magnifier661]

The blazers made it to the wcf before Pippen came to town. He is a super role player

 

[maxiep]

He's had a great rookie campaign, but a lot can happen between today and the end of his career.

I'm pretty sure we had a "So how long until Roy supplants Drexler?" thread, too.

 

[magnifier661]

He's had a great rookie campaign, but a lot can happen between today and the end of his career.

I'm pretty sure we had a "So how long until Roy supplants Drexler?" thread, too.

We did and I remember partaking in it too.

 

[BigGameDamian]

The difference between doing well and being totally dominant is equal to the difference between Pete Myers and Michael Jordan (since everything else was the same). Which is to say that Jordan's supporting cast was really really good if you can win 55 games with Pete Myers.

However, you can't win a championship -- even with Pippen, Grant, Cartwright, and Armstrong -- if you have Pete Myers instead of Michael Jordan.

Without Pippen how do you know Jordan would even have a ring?

 

[BigGameDamian]

Jordan's playoff record before Pippen arrived was 1-9. Pippen played six full seasons without Michael, plus most of 1995, and all six teams had winning records. Jordan played five years without Pippen, all five teams had losing records. Two of those teams didn't even make the playoffs. Pippen should have been MVP in I believe it was the 95-96 season without Jordan. Not to mention 8 time All Star but he's just a role player.