Steve Duin: Same old numbing mediocrity (confirmed)

[THE HCP]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

I didn't say he wasn't, and I'm not saying Lillard will be as good as Roy, but I think he has a chance. He has the talent. Obviously they play different positions, so it's difficult to compare them, but point guards like Lillard come along less frequently than shooting guards like Roy.

Right now, how many point guards in the NBA have amazing court vision, athleticism, and can shoot from anywhere on the floor?

I hear ya'. I just don't think this core is even in the same universe as the one we are comparing it to.

To answer your PG question, there are only a handful. It seemed like for awhile there were only 3 real PGs out there.....Kidd, CP3 and DWill. But there has been a big influx lately......Rose, Wall, Irving, the Knight kid in Detroit is solid as well. I haven't been as excited about a player for us as I am about Lillard since Brandon. He has game and am looking forward to watching him grow.

 

[Natebishop3]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

I hear ya'. I just don't think this core is even in the same universe as the one we are comparing it to.

To answer your PG question, there are only a handful. It seemed like for awhile there were only 3 real PGs out there.....Kidd, CP3 and DWill. But there has been a big influx lately......Rose, Wall, Irving, the Knight kid in Detroit is solid as well. I haven't been as excited about a player for us as I am about Lillard since Brandon. He has game and am looking forward to watching him grow.

CP3 is a freak. He isn't healthy anymore, but when he was at the top of his game, he was averaging over 11 apg. That's John Stockton, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd type of numbers. Those kinds of point guards are once in a decade it seems. Rose isn't a passer. The dude has never averaged over 8 apg. He's a scorer. Wall is still so young, it's hard to say what he'll end up being, but he's been averaging around 8 assists and 16 ppg. Those aren't bad numbers. The guy is super athletic so it will be interesting to see if he builds on that. Irving is similar to Rose in that he's a scorer. He didn't even average six assists last season.

I think Lillard will end up averaging around 18 ppg and 8 assists this season. Those are great numbers for a rookie point guard. CP3 only averaged 16 ppg and 7.8 assists as a rookie. The key is the growth beyond this season. Can he take that next leap? I think he can. I don't really want to see him average over 20 or 21 ppg. I'd rather see him average 10 assists or more. He has the vision and the playmaking ability. A great point guard is far more important than a great shooting guard imo, because scoring can come from a number of players if you have a great point guard. Just look at the NJ Nets with Kidd. Who was their great scorer? Lillard could make Batum, Aldridge, and Matthews 10x better than they would have otherwise been. That's the x factor.

 

[HailBlazers]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

I hear ya'. I just don't think this core is even in the same universe as the one we are comparing it to.

The one you're comparing it to never actually co-existed.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

Mods, can you change the thread title to "Steve Duin: Same old numbing mediocrity" please?

 

[Natebishop3]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

The one you're comparing it to never actually co-existed.

Well, to be fair, I was the one who said that Lillard/Batum/Aldridge/Leonard could be better than Roy/Aldridge/Oden would have been if healthy.

 

[HailBlazers]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

Lillard could make Batum, Aldridge, and Matthews 10x better than they would have otherwise been. That's the x factor.

Throw in the new offense (Stotts), and you get the possiblity of the Blazers showing up all the hate.

We really haven't seen the best of our Core. Thanks IMO to Nate Mcmillian and the lack of a solid PG.

 

[illmatic99]

Man, our expectations for Dame are off the charts. I really hope he fulfills them, and stays healthy in the long run.

 

[Natebishop3]

Man, our expectations for Dame are off the charts. I really hope he fulfills them, and stays healthy in the long run.

I think there's a difference between hope and expectations. I have high hopes for him, but my expectations are low because I'm a Blazers fan.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

I think Lillard will end up averaging around 18 ppg and 8 assists this season.

Wow, you're setting yourself up to be extremely disappointed this season.

 

[Natebishop3]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

Wow, you're setting yourself up to be extremely disappointed this season.

Right now he's averaging 17 ppg and 6 apg. I don't think 18 and 8 is outside the realm of possibility. Obviously he might struggle, but if John Wall can put up 16 and 8, I think Dame could put up similar numbers.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

It will take some time for everyone to gel and for the young guys to get some seasoning, but in the long run this team might actually be better than the Roy/Aldridge/Oden team would have been.

Lillard/Batum/Aldridge/Leonard might be better in the long run than Roy/Aldridge/Oden. I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility.

You changed the wording ever so slightly, but had a big impact on the meaning. If Roy/Aldridge/Oden would have been healthy, that team would have been a dynasty. They were so young (youngest team in the league) and had ALL the pieces. Hell, they won 54 games with Oden saddled with injuries, Roy just entering what should have been his prime, Batum (20-year old rookie) and Aldridge still several years away from their primes. People forget how young and talented that team was. Blake and Przybilla were the old guys at 28 and 29. Outlaw was a 5-year veteran, but only 24. Oden, was 21 and technically a rookie.

Now, if you remove the would have been qualifier and change it to "was", and if the young guys pan out, this team has a chance to someday (several years in the future) win 54 games and be as good as those Roy/Aldridge/Oden teams actually were. But, when it comes to talent, from the top of the roster to the bottom, this current team doesn't come close.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

You changed the wording ever so slightly, but had a big impact on the meaning. If Roy/Aldridge/Oden would have been healthy, that team would have been a dynasty. They were so young (youngest team in the league) and had ALL the pieces. Hell, they won 54 games with Oden saddled with injuries, Roy just entering what should have been his prime, Batum (20-year old rookie) and Aldridge still several years away from their primes. People forget how young and talented that team was. Blake and Przybilla were the old guys at 28 and 29. Outlaw was a 5-year veteran, but only 24. Oden, was 21 and technically a rookie.

Now, if you remove the would have been qualifier and change it to "was", and if the young guys pan out, this team has a chance to someday (several years in the future) win 54 games and be as good as those Roy/Aldridge/Oden teams actually were. But, when it comes to talent, from the top of the roster to the bottom, this current team doesn't come close.

BNM

I mean what I said. Would have been. Obviously Oden is the biggest question mark, because Roy would have kept on averaging somewhere around 22, 5, and 5. The question is, however, would Aldridge have improved as much as he did if Roy never went down? Would Batum grow with Roy still on the team?Those the biggest question mark, in my mind.

I genuinely think that Lillard has the talent to be as good as Roy was. Is that a guarantee? No. If we've learned anything from the past four years, it's that there are no guarantees. In my opinion though, a great point guard is more valuable than a great shooting guard. Lillard with Batum, Aldridge, and Leonard could still be a dynasty. We don't know yet, but I think they have the talent. I also like our bench with Freeland, Claver, and Barton. I think we're one more good piece away from having a very solid rotation. That and some seasoning for our young guys.

But, with that said, I haven't made any guarantees. I said they "might" be better than the big three in the long run. That's a pretty ambiguous statement

 

[illmatic99]

Not to argue just for the sake of arguing, but finding a good PG in today's NBA is far, far easier than finding a good SG.

 

[Natebishop3]

Not to argue just for the sake of arguing, but finding a good PG in today's NBA is far, far easier than finding a good SG.

Man, there are so many variations of the point guard and shooting guard positions. The lines are blurred. Are they play makers? Passers? Scorers? The only thing that seems to separate the two positions at this point are the stereotypes of height and where they should play. I think it's difficult to find a really good guard. There are a lot of good point guards and shooting guards, but how many really good or great ones? Brandon Roy was a really good shooting guard, on the verge of greatness when he started to slow down because of his knees. Can Lillard be a really good point guard or even a great one? Sure. I think he has the talent. Will he? That's anybodies guess at this point.

 

[HailBlazers]

Lillard is a shooting guard in a point guards body

 

[Natebishop3]

Lillard is a shooting guard in a point guards body

He's really not.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Lillard is a shooting guard in a point guards body

Nah, he's a PG who can shoot. He can create his own shot, but he can also create for others.

PGs that can shoot have always been, and will always be, a valuable commodity. The key is knowing when to pass vs. when to shoot. Guys like Nash and Stockton are/were great shooters that also always managed to keep their teammates involved. Stephon Marbury, not so much. This is where Russell Westbrook struggles. He plays with the best scorer in the league, the 3-time defending scoring champ, yet Westbrook constantly calls his own number and freezes out Durant during the 4th quarter of crucial playoff games.

Thankfully Lillard, for such an inexperienced players, seems to already have the right mentality to be a successful NBA PG.

BNM

 

[HailBlazers]

Well Said. ^

All I know is that Lillard's shooting ability is sky high. Guess that's what growing up shooting on a tree will do for ya.

[video]

 

[Natebishop3]

Nah, he's a PG who can shoot. He can create his own shot, but he can also create for others.

PGs that can shoot have always been, and will always be, a valuable commodity. The key is knowing when to pass vs. when to shoot. Guys like Nash and Stockton are/were great shooters that also always managed to keep their teammates involved. Stephon Marbury, not so much. This is where Russell Westbrook struggles. He plays with the best scorer in the league, the 3-time defending scoring champ, yet Westbrook constantly calls his own number and freezes out Durant during the 4th quarter of crucial playoff games.

Thankfully Lillard, for such an inexperienced players, seems to already have the right mentality to be a successful NBA PG.

BNM

And Westbrook is only getting worse... last season he averaged 5.5 assists, which was down from the 8 assists he averaged in the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons.

 

[Boob-No-More]

And Westbrook is only getting worse... last season he averaged 5.5 assists, which was down from the 8 assists he averaged in the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons.

Yep, with Kevin Durant and James Harden on his team, he should be averaging > 10 apg.

He's an even bigger ballhog in the playoffs, especially the 4th quarter of close games. Westbrook played 70 fewer minutes during the playoffs than Durant, but took 24 more shots. That should never happen.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Yep, with Kevin Durant and James Harden on his team, he should be averaging > 10 apg.

He's an even bigger ballhog in the playoffs, especially the 4th quarter of close games. Westbrook played 70 fewer minutes during the playoffs than Durant, but took 24 more shots. That should never happen.

BNM

That's why, ultimately, I think he'll be the one to go on that team. They might look to trade him this summer and re-sign Harden.