To the people who feel the need to constantly bash Dame

[THE HCP]

And what do these guys expect from Lillard? He's having a pretty good season for not even being an all star.

 

[HolyBackboard]

Our backcourt's shot selection would get better with more talented players around them. There is no lowest threat to take the heat off of them and the need to have them bail us out as the clock runs down. How can this guy not see this and actually critique them? You give give Dame a bailout player who has the ability to score in the paint, his shots will be better looks, not question.

THIS so much!

We have ZERO post presence. We don't have a consistent third-scoring option. Teams throws two-three defenders at a time towards Dame and CJ because they know they can't give them any daylight. You think LAC and GSW would double that pick and roll if KD or Ryan Anderson were open in the corner? Hell no!

 

[THE HCP]

THIS so much!

We have ZERO post presence. We don't have a consistent third-scoring option. Teams throws two-three defenders at a time towards Dame and CJ because they know they can't give them any daylight. You think LAC and GSW would double that pick and roll if KD or Ryan Anderson were open in the corner? Hell no!

THIS IS THE EXACT REASON I SWORE WE'D WIN 23 GAMES! Why didn't teams just double Dame and CJ EVERY TIME THEY TOUCHED THE BALL this season? That's why I've been so impressed with how this team played this year! In spite of basically having 10 roll players on the roster they just kicked ass all year.

 

[Nhawz]

Our backcourt's shot selection would get better with more talented players around them. There is no lowest threat to take the heat off of them and the need to have them bail us out as the clock runs down. How can this guy not see this and actually critique them? You give give Dame a bailout player who has the ability to score in the paint, his shots will be better looks, not question.

It's coming bro, first year of rebuild. Can't expect anymore out of olshey from what he has already accomplished this year. Our roster is going to be upgraded this off season, hopefully with the pieces you discussed. We are positioned perfectly right now and cant wait for next year.

 

[BonesJones]

Right it does happen. But how often? The magnitude of these games only exemplify those questionable shot selections happening more often than not. It's just to often of a swing for my liking AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT OF LILLARD'S CAREER. Now maybe this will be a thing of a past soon. I hope it is

Lillards being guarded tight and doubled almost all game. If he doesn't shoot, he gets bashed for "disappearing" (Skip Bayless), and if he does shoot, he gets bashed because he's being guarded tight or doubled, and it's a bad shot.

It shows that you can never satisfy haters like you, Tunchi.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

STOP CHANTING MVP AT THE FT LINE EARLY IN THE GAME. ITS A FUCKING JINX GUYS

 

[BonesJones]

STOP CHANTING MVP AT THE FT LINE EARLY IN THE GAME. ITS A FUCKING JINX GUYS

Stop chanting MVP with Dame at the line when the actual MVP is playing us on his first game back from injury.

But it's passion... can't fault Blazer fans.

 

[Strenuus]

THIS IS THE EXACT REASON I SWORE WE'D WIN 23 GAMES! Why didn't teams just double Dame and CJ EVERY TIME THEY TOUCHED THE BALL this season? That's why I've been so impressed with how this team played this year! In spite of basically having 10 roll players on the roster they just kicked ass all year.

Cue Kingspeed in 3...2....1....

 

[SIeepwalker]

They couldn't even win the game when the HCP was watching ! No respect !

 

[Sinobas]

THIS IS THE EXACT REASON I SWORE WE'D WIN 23 GAMES! Why didn't teams just double Dame and CJ EVERY TIME THEY TOUCHED THE BALL this season? That's why I've been so impressed with how this team played this year! In spite of basically having 10 roll players on the roster they just kicked ass all year.

I agree, the Blazers seem to really struggle when teams do that, but not every team employs that strategy.

Then you look at the game tonight, where Damian has a terrible shooting night, Portland misses 9 free throws, and the refs hurt us as well, and yet they were right in the game against the Warriors. So they've been finding ways to make the most out of their talent.

 

[illmatic99]

As someone who harps on his shot selection a lot here, I thought he was fine last night. Only took like 3 or 4 truly bad shots. Felt CJ was worse in that respect.

Both of em made some shit decisions about driving through double teams though. They're really good at splitting double teams, but they were getting squeezed last night.

 

[Pinwheel1]

You are completely ignoring that this team relies on lillard. They go through droughts where nobody can make a shot, and it's up to dame to make something happen. The team lives or dies with lillard. Right now he's facing some of the toughest defense he's ever seen. We need to upgrade the roster. It wasn't just dame missing shots in the second quarter.

It's hard to debate ignorance. Either they know the game or they don't.

 

[Sinobas]

Lillards being guarded tight and doubled almost all game. If he doesn't shoot, he gets bashed for "disappearing" (Skip Bayless), and if he does shoot, he gets bashed because he's being guarded tight or doubled, and it's a bad shot.

It shows that you can never satisfy haters like you, Tunchi.

But tonight, a lot of those misses, were just misses, where he was either open or facing single coverage. Klay Thompson was playing great D on him, and Dame tried to force it 1 on 1 several times and failed.

And we've seen the stats on Damian's FG% in the 4th quarter. More often than not, he fails at hero ball. He needs better team-mates, but if he gets them, he also needs to break this habit. Your starts are supposed to pick up in the playoffs, and if Dame's performance was a key factor in the loss. He doesn't shine in the big moments like Brandon Roy did.

Drexler was the same way, great player, but wasn't exactly a big moment player.

 

[crandc]

Dame's shot selection is better when others are hitting, or when the offense is moving. When everyone stands around and he has to take a shot with 3 seconds on the clock he's more likely to miss.

Of course he can improve. Hell, people were talking about Curry being Most Improved because he got better over last year's MVP season. But the best that can be done for Dame is to improve the players around him. These guys have played their guts out, no doubt. Just throw in a reliable scorer (Durant!) and see how good Dame will be.

 

[blazerboy30]

So many strawmen being built and knocked down in this thread.

Dame played his heart out. He almost willed the team to tie up the series. I'm incredibly glad he's a Blazer for life.

But some posters here need to back off with calling anybody a hater that questions his shot selection at times. Seeing area for improvement doesn't equate to hate. Take a step back and chill a little.

 

[blue32]

All I gotta say is, "you got to make your freethrows".

 

[Tunchi]

What pisses me off is we got a great scoring night from our bench and role players. They had a combined 27 points on 10 for 19 shooting from Allen Crabbe, Gerald Henderson and Ed Davis, plus Aminu was killing as well but the problem was we didn't get a good and decently efficient game from Lillard. His ugly 9 for 30 from the field, 5 for 18 from three point range killed us.

If he was just normal Dame we win this game and it's 2-2 right now

 

[Sinobas]

What pisses me off is we got a great scoring night from our bench and role players. They had a combined 27 points on 10 for 19 shooting from Allen Crabbe, Gerald Henderson and Ed Davis, plus Aminu was killing as well but the problem was we didn't get a good and decently efficient game from Lillard. His ugly 9 for 30 from the field, 5 for 18 from three point range killed us.

If he was just normal Dame we win this game and it's 2-2 right now

At the end of the day, the Blazers only realistic goal here was to not get embarassed by the Warriors. We got blown out in game 1, but all the other contests have been good. Whether we lose 4-2 or 4-1.

 

[Natebishop3]

So many strawmen being built and knocked down in this thread.

Dame played his heart out. He almost willed the team to tie up the series. I'm incredibly glad he's a Blazer for life.

But some posters here need to back off with calling anybody a hater that questions his shot selection at times. Seeing area for improvement doesn't equate to hate. Take a step back and chill a little.

I'm talking about the people shitting on him in the game thread. Not the people discussing his shot selection in separate threads after the game.

 

[Shaboid]

 

[H.C.]

As someone who harps on his shot selection a lot here, I thought he was fine last night. Only took like 3 or 4 truly bad shots. Felt CJ was worse in that respect.

Both of em made some shit decisions about driving through double teams though. They're really good at splitting double teams, but they were getting squeezed last night.

Mad props @yuyuza1



Anyone who is on Lillard for lack of efficiency, should also be on CJ.
If you're not, your opinion becomes a biased opinion. aka invalid.
9-23, 5 turnovers, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 rebounds, 2-2FT - CJ's line in g4.
9-30, 3 turnovers, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 13-16FT - Lillard's line in g4.
The difference is, Lillard got to the FT line and didn't stand there chucking contested jumpers.
Neither shot well. Neither played particularly well.

What pisses me off is we got a great scoring night from our bench and role players. They had a combined 27 points on 10 for 19 shooting from Allen Crabbe, Gerald Henderson and Ed Davis, plus Aminu was killing as well but the problem was we didn't get a good and decently efficient game from Lillard. His ugly 9 for 30 from the field, 5 for 18 from three point range killed us.

If he was just normal Dame we win this game and it's 2-2 right now

To say this, is asinine when you leave out CJ.

 

[Strenuus]

What pisses me off is we got a great scoring night from our bench and role players. They had a combined 27 points on 10 for 19 shooting from Allen Crabbe, Gerald Henderson and Ed Davis, plus Aminu was killing as well but the problem was we didn't get a good and decently efficient game from Lillard. His ugly 9 for 30 from the field, 5 for 18 from three point range killed us.

If he was just normal Dame we win this game and it's 2-2 right now

CJ was just as bad, don't leave him out.

You will, because you hate dame and also the team, but if you're a fair criticizer (which you are not) you would do that.

In the end, everything you say is meaningless because you don't have logic or levity.

 

[blazerboy30]

Mad props @yuyuza1



Anyone who is on Lillard for lack of efficiency, should also be on CJ.
If you're not, your opinion becomes a biased opinion. aka invalid.
9-23, 5 turnovers, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 rebounds, 2-2FT - CJ's line in g4.
9-30, 3 turnovers, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 13-16FT - Lillard's line in g4.
The difference is, Lillard got to the FT line and didn't stand there chucking contested jumpers.
Neither shot well. Neither played particularly well.




To say this, is asinine when you leave out CJ.

Realistically CJ and Dame are held to different standards, as should be the case today.

Nobody is criticizing Montero for not carrying the team to victory.

 

[Strenuus]

Realistically CJ and Dame are held to different standards, as should be the case today.

Nobody is criticizing Montero for not carrying the team to victory.

That doesn't make any sense, on both fronts.

CJ is our #2... he does get held to the same standard as Dame. Because without Dame, we need CJ, and without CJ, we need Dame. They go hand in hand this year.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

CJ is more 1B when you talk to Dame and Stotts. He definitely does (and should) get held to the same standard. You better believe CJ holds himself to it.

The gap between CJ and Montero is 10 times as wide as the gap between CJ and Dame and that isn't an exaggeration. In fact it might be wider.

 

[Strenuus]

CJ is more 1B when you talk to Dame and Stotts. He definitely does (and should) get held to the same standard. You better believe CJ holds himself to it.

Yep. There's really no debate on it. CJ made himself to be held to the same standard. I really see no counter-argument to it.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'm talking about the people shitting on him

It's going to be horrible next season when Lillard's new contract kicks in.

"Lillard isn't a max player."

"Lillard's contract is hurting the team, there is no way to sign stars with that contract on the books."


And then it will get even worse the season after that when CJ's max/near max contract kicks in.

 

[Strenuus]

It's going to be horrible next season when Lillard's new contract kicks in.

"Lillard isn't a max player."

"Lillard's contract is hurting the team, there is no way to sign stars with that contract on the books."


And then it will get even worse the season after that when CJ's max/near max contract kicks in.

The second one won't be true, because we'll have a star on our team next year.

He's called Damian Lillard.

 

[blazerboy30]

Yep. There's really no debate on it. CJ made himself to be held to the same standard. I really see no counter-argument to it.

Then you disagree with the Blazer organization. They haven't given CJ the keys to the franchise like they have Dame.

I don't see people claiming that CJ was an all-star snub.

CJ was nowhere in sight in the MVP voting.

It's ridiculous to put them at the same level today, whether CJ has tried to do that himself or not.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

The second one won't be true, because we'll have a star on our team next year.

He's called Damian Lillard.

People bitch that we're overpaying Aminu.