Damian Lillard: a star in the making?

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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#21 » by Downtown » Tue Jul 10, 2012 3:06 pm

If Lillard can equal Lou Williams, Jeff Teague, or hope to be a less athletic Kevin Johnson with more range then Portland has themselves a great draft pick and pointguard for a long time.

Only time will tell though if he reaches these levels or as another poster said, he's Jerryd Bayless 2.0.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#22 » by King d » Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:45 am

AnSweR07 wrote:
CHA_77_Bobcats wrote:^ That definitely was not an "attack".

I see him as a rick man's Lou Williams. Best suited as a ridiculously good 6th man.


Lillard isn't as talented nor as athletic as Lou


That's debatable
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#23 » by PDXKnight » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:56 pm

I don't think Lillard will be a great pick when all is said and done. My main issue is his quickness and his slow first step. I'd like to see him succeed but I'm about 5/95 against him becoming a first tier PG.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#24 » by King d » Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:25 am

Oden2 wrote:I don't think Lillard will be a great pick when all is said and done. My main issue is his quickness and his slow first step. I'd like to see him succeed but I'm about 5/95 against him becoming a first tier PG.


I don't see anything wrong with his quickness/1st step... :roll:
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#25 » by Jack wore plaid » Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:44 pm

Oden2 wrote:I don't think Lillard will be a great pick when all is said and done. My main issue is his quickness and his slow first step. I'd like to see him succeed but I'm about 5/95 against him becoming a first tier PG.



Maybe ask every player he blew by in summer league, or every GM/scout that compared him to Derrick Rose, Zeke Thomas, Westbrook, if he has a quick first step.


He might not ever be a great PG, but it won't be because he doesn't have a quick first step
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#26 » by [RCG] » Wed Aug 1, 2012 7:00 pm

I'll wait to see how he does his first season against actual competition - not scrubs from an extremely weak D-1 conference.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#27 » by Shem » Fri Aug 3, 2012 8:46 am

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUVlPQZqVY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApG0SFjDoCE[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJb9Qy6ylBs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTvHv5wFqUM[/youtube]
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#28 » by GreenRiddler » Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:46 am

UnderdogKnicks wrote:
MrBigShot wrote:Definitely a great talent. He has a chance to become a 1st tier point guard along with Rose, Rondo, CP3, Westbrook and DWill...I think he will be 2nd tier, equal to guys like Ty Lawson and Jrue Holiday from the get go.


:lol: U really think he is going to be 1st tier of PGS? He is very average he'll be a good starting PG, u guys are overrating draft players again and this happens every year.

Oh you mean in 2008 with Rose? 8-)
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#29 » by GreenRiddler » Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:50 am

reapaman wrote:I think he is Jerryd Bayless 2.0. Very similar in college stats, playing style, physical tools, height, weight, ect .... Once you adjust for competition and all that stuff, they are about the same so I expect the same kinda career for Damian Lillard.

He may have more success with the blazers than Bayless did since he's likely to get the starting spot from day one and theres no brandon roy on the team but I don't expect him to live up to anywhere near where he was picked at.

Have you watched Summer league? He looks nothing like Bayless. It is okay though let that Chip grow bigger that R.O.Y trophy is gonna look good with him beside it. :wink:
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#30 » by King d » Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:29 am

Comparing Lillard to Bayless is like comparing Allen Iverson with Jimmer Fredette.

Both things sound ridiculous
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#31 » by AnSweR07 » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:16 am

I think your underselling bayless talent a bit. Bayless was great highly touted prospect since hs..coming into league bayless had to scramble for minutes in the rotation..while lillard is coming intovsituation where hes given the keys from day 1.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#32 » by GreenRiddler » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:05 pm

AnSweR07 wrote:I think your underselling bayless talent a bit. Bayless was great highly touted prospect since hs..coming into league bayless had to scramble for minutes in the rotation..while lillard is coming intovsituation where hes given the keys from day 1.

Bayless was given a good opportunity in Portland late in his final year and screwed the pooch, as well as in Toronto and New Orleans, maybe he will accept he is not a pg in Memphis?
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#33 » by GreenRiddler » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:06 pm

Well Bayless couldn't shoot to save his life, Lillard is a really good shooter. Bayless couldn't dribble in anything other than a straight line, Lillard can move the ball in a variety of crossovers and change of paces very well. Bayless couldn't do anything in the PnR other than rise up or go for the charge or occasional foul/and1, Lillard is Great in the PnR. One is gonna be a PG (Lillard) the other a back-up shooting guard (Jay-Bay).

Whatever you do don't stop your comparison of the two, it will make you look that much more wrong when you see him in action when the season rolls around. :wink:
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#34 » by AnSweR07 » Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:56 am

GreenRiddler wrote:Well Bayless couldn't shoot to save his life, Lillard is a really good shooter. Bayless couldn't dribble in anything other than a straight line, Lillard can move the ball in a variety of crossovers and change of paces very well. Bayless couldn't do anything in the PnR other than rise up or go for the charge or occasional foul/and1, Lillard is Great in the PnR. One is gonna be a PG (Lillard) the other a back-up shooting guard (Jay-Bay).

Whatever you do don't stop your comparison of the two, it will make you look that much more wrong when you see him in action when the season rolls around. :wink:



I never compared those two. Bayless was combo guard while lillard is more of a lead guard, scoring pg different type of players. Also bayless was really starting to come into his own last season for the raptors when he was starting..whenever he comes off the bench he plays poorly..the talent is there but he hasnt really caught a break for some reason..bad attitude?
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#35 » by Tave » Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:20 am

ssfan4life wrote:Really think this kids future is super bright. He has the tools and mental make up to become a star in the NBA. Really would like to know what other people think. I would have made a poll, but I don't know how.

Also this has got to be one of the most impressive basketball workout video I've ever seen (haven't seen many).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heP3LWn8-KQ Really nice shot!


It's probably just the fatigue but he has zero lift on his shot in that video. He's barely even getting off the ground.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#36 » by King d » Sun Aug 26, 2012 6:51 pm

Tave wrote:
ssfan4life wrote:Really think this kids future is super bright. He has the tools and mental make up to become a star in the NBA. Really would like to know what other people think. I would have made a poll, but I don't know how.

Also this has got to be one of the most impressive basketball workout video I've ever seen (haven't seen many).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heP3LWn8-KQ Really nice shot!


It's probably just the fatigue but he has zero lift on his shot in that video. He's barely even getting off the ground.


I don't see that, he gets off the ground as far I can see. But yeah, his release is a little low, but quick as hell. I don't think that should be a problem.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#37 » by Tave » Sun Aug 26, 2012 10:56 pm

King d wrote:
Tave wrote:
ssfan4life wrote:Really think this kids future is super bright. He has the tools and mental make up to become a star in the NBA. Really would like to know what other people think. I would have made a poll, but I don't know how.

Also this has got to be one of the most impressive basketball workout video I've ever seen (haven't seen many).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heP3LWn8-KQ Really nice shot!


It's probably just the fatigue but he has zero lift on his shot in that video. He's barely even getting off the ground.


I don't see that, he gets off the ground as far I can see. But yeah, his release is a little low, but quick as hell. I don't think that should be a problem.


He's getting like 6" or less off the ground on every jumper. Moreover his feet are all over the place: way too wide and offset. Combine the poor lift with the low release and you have a recipe for disaster when he has to face true NBA defense.

It's very odd because you can tell he goes all-out in the workout, even in the run-ups to his shots, but then when he takes the shot it looks like he's just farting around in an open gym.

This is the type of elevation he should be reaching:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcOFU6o_kq8[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RciLe9SUqVM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDmDWUOWjbY[/youtube]
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#38 » by ManualRam » Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:36 am

elevation on a deep range jumper isnt as important, especially if the player isnt running off of screens for his shot.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#39 » by Tave » Mon Aug 27, 2012 5:02 am

1) I disagree. More elevation will always extend your range and give you more control. Some set shooters dial in from a certain distance and don't get a ton of lift (think Bonner or Novak), but not all long-range jumpers are spot-up looks, and just because a 3-point specialist has found a way to work his spot or cash an unorthodox motion doesn't mean other people people should emulate them. You can see Allen always gets good elevation, even on set shots. That's the type of example you want to follow.

2) In that video the OP posted, Lillard has poor lift on all of his shots, including the mid-range curls simulating him running off screens and his fadeaways.

Look I'm not trying to tear the kid down. I didn't follow him in college but from the highlights I've seen he looks fantastic: very creative, great finisher, good shooter, good footwork in the post, good defender--the sky's the limit. And that workout vid is pretty cool, you can tell he's an athlete and a skilled baller. I just thought it was very odd that his footwork and elevation isn't there on his jumpshot considering how hard he was going at it. Like I said, maybe it was just fatigue. It looks like he did a lot of strength/conditioning exercises before the skills portion, and he was run ragged by the end of it.
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Re: Damian Lillard: a star in the making? 

Post#40 » by ManualRam » Mon Aug 27, 2012 5:32 am

how many PGs get great elevation on their deep jumpers? nash, cp3, kyrie irving, billups in his prime, chalmers, steph curry, holiday, conley, bibby in his prime? none of them. look at a guy like jason kidd. he pretty much shoots a standstill shot but over the course of his career he was one of the most prolific 3 pt shooters of all-time.

spring is important, elevation is not. they are 2 different things. i was always taught that for a shot with more distance and therefore less margin for error, a more controlled, compact stroke is better.
players who dont work off screens dont need great elevation on their jumpers. players as quick as lillard arent gonna receive tight defense 3 pt line extended, so they don't have to worry as much about getting shots OVER tight defense. where the low release comes more into play is the pull up game 3 pt line and down, especially if a bigger player switches out on him. luckily for lillard he has the quickness to get all the way to the cup, a quick release and a step back game where he creates a lot of distance with footwork.
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