The OFFICIAL Rookie impressions thread pt. II

[whatchaknow]

I think lamb is legit I would love to get my hands on him as a blazer fan and he is who I really wanted at 11 over Leonard..

Question for guys who may have watched more or payed more attention to big name rookie pgs in the past. How were they on defense when they first came into the league?? Guys like Paul, rose, Westbrook, Williams, and Irving

There has been a ton of critisicm on the blazer board over lillards d and I just want to know how common it is for rookie guards to be bad on d

Westbrook was actually used as a defensive stopper when he was a rookie, back when he actually exerted effort on the defensive side of the ball.

Can't help you on the rest.

Well I remember Westbrook at ucla was a monster on d and his physical attributes are off the charts as far as lateral quickness and leaping. I'd imagine he could be a top 5 pg defender (if not already) if he exerted the effort on that end. I think lillard lacks the awareness right now as far as p&r d is concerned but he is plenty quick to stay in front of guys he just doesn't seem to have that attitude to not let guys get past him. I'm not sure if he is trying to save energy since he is asked to log heavy mins and carry such a huge offensive load or if he is trying to stay out of foul trouble? It just seems like it is half hearted and when you combine that with having such a weak shot blocking front line it's no wonder Portland is the worst defensive team in the league

[whatchaknow]

Irving is a horrendous defender and D. Will was a very poor defender and is still pretty poor. Paul was a pretty good defender. Westbrook actually got worse, he was better in his rookie season. Rose was average and got a bit better.

Lillard is as bad as Irving defensively but he has time to improve.

Thanks. The only thing is with those guys is they all have physical advantages over dame. Westbrook and rose are quicker and more explosive giving them more room for error. Dwill uses his body and size to be effective. Paul has the fastest hands I've ever seen and gets away with quite a bit of contact on that end. Irving I see se similarities with as far as what they are asked to do and effort on that end.. I guess I'm just worried about not only the effort but the overall potential he has on that end

[Goldtop]

Drummonds been a beast in the paint on defense and on the boards. idk what you guys are watching.

He was the leading rebounder in the game for both teams tonight with 9 in only 24 min.

His last 4 games he's avg 10 rebs and 2 blks in only 20 mpg and he's changing a ton of shots inside too.

he needs to finish shots that he's finished before around the rim. he also missed 3 dunks. just saying, he's capable.

eh, thats nitpicking. He's getting it done on defense and on the boards, which are his primary jobs. And he's shooting 57% on the season. So he's getting it done on offense too overall. I wouldn't worry about a few missed shots here and there. Its going to happen.

[pipfan]

Not sure of the others, but Rose's D was TERRIBLE his rookie year-totally clueless. Now I consider him elite on D-nothing flashy but stays with his man and works his butt off-plus he's big and quick.

Plenty of time for Lillard to learn

[boogie-reke]

Drummond's rebounding is really the best bright spot in his game for me, compared to collage.

Kid is going after it. That's winning 80% of the battle when you have his physical and athletic attributes.

Shooting numbers were always likely to drop, cause teams gameplay for him and try take those easy buckets, or pay more attention to him on the offensive glass - but he is just play on raw talent and desire right now.

For me, even if he doesn't make the huge improvement offensively, which I don't think he will, being a better more dominating DeAndre Jordan down the line is great for him, and it looks like that's where he'll end up even if he won't improve all that much.

[Onioneer]

If Drummond was getting 34 minutes per game, he would be averaging 12 points, 12 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. That isn't bad at all for a 19 year old with little to no offensive game to speak of. Once he can start cutting down on his rookie mistakes, and starts developing some sort of post game, he's going to be a problem. He already pairs well with Monroe due to his athleticism, size and hustle. Once they get going, I can see Drummond's presense making up for Monroe's shortcomings on the defensive end, and Monroe's passing and offensive savvy helping Drummond on the offensive end.

[dream_catcher_9]

JLamb assigned to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA DLeague.

He should get a lot of playing time down there at least.

[Shem]

From David Thorpe:

Through 14 games, Lillard also has made 53 percent of his shots from 16-23 feet, making him one of the top midrange shooters this season. For comparison's sake, look at what some other point guards who were top-five draft picks did from that distance in their rookie seasons:

Derrick Rose made 43 percent, Russell Westbrook 38 percent, Tyreke Evans 32 percent and John Wall 30 percent. And, for good measure, here's what Portland's last All-Star guard, Brandon Roy, shot from this range in his best season, 2008-09: 43 percent.

Lillard is proving to be a very good drive-and-finish guy and an excellent mid- to long-range shooter. A bad game here and there is only par for the course, not something to be alarmed about.

http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/11/29/3 ... top-rookie

[roc]

strange that he chose to use Tyreke as an example instead of Irving

[Kabookalu]

lol yeah, or Stephen Curry.

[SWedd523]

lol yeah, or Stephen Curry.

He wasn't a top 5 pick.


Neither was Lillard so it's a little odd he'd cut it off at the 5th pick

[PerkinsFor3]

Cavaliers sign F Kevin Jones.
Cleveland will waive Luke Harangody with this move. Jones was one of the last cuts back in late October and he doesn't figure to play much for Cleveland. He can be left on the waiver wire in all leagues.

NICE signing. He's a player.

[kurtis48239]

Drummond's rebounding is really the best bright spot in his game for me, compared to collage.

Kid is going after it. That's winning 80% of the battle when you have his physical and athletic attributes.

Shooting numbers were always likely to drop, cause teams gameplay for him and try take those easy buckets, or pay more attention to him on the offensive glass - but he is just play on raw talent and desire right now.

For me, even if he doesn't make the huge improvement offensively, which I don't think he will, being a better more dominating DeAndre Jordan down the line is great for him, and it looks like that's where he'll end up even if he won't improve all that much.

Honestly I think he will be better than d.jordan,when you watch him play you think to yourself I cant wait to see him in a couple of years when the game slows down,hes more comfortable with himself and his team mates.I think he is going to be something special,and it sucks he dosent get more playing time,because I think he would have a legit chance at roy,but I do think that bringing him along slowly is the right thing to do.

[NaturalThunder]

Didn't get to watch the game, but saw where Barnes only played 17 minutes. I know he struggled shooting the ball, but was there a reason he didn't play much. Seems like one or two or three games he'll get 25-35 minutes, then have a stretch where he only gets 15-25 minutes. Did Mark Jackson do the same thing with Klay Thompson last year?

[TwentyOne920]

Nando de Colo: 15 points (4-8 FG, 2-4 3P, 5-6 FT), 6 rebounds (3 offensive), 5 assists, 1 steal, and 5 turnovers in a season high 33 minutes of play.

[JV4MVP]

Damian Lillard is afraid of historic statues

However, Lillard has a lot of growing up to do. Like, say, not being afraid of "historic statues." From two tweets on his Twitter account (via TBJ):

"I like DC. I wana come back and visit the memorials even though I'm scared of statues"

"People I'm only scared of historic statues. Abraham Lincoln , MLK, etc . Had a bad experience at the wax museum lmao"

Later, Lillard explained his fear to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:

He has trouble pinpointing the exact time he fretted seeing statues and monuments but said the uneasy feeling was palpable during a visit to a wax museum two summers ago before his senior season at Weber State.

"The last room was Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln — all these big-time historic people, and it looked just like them. Same size," he said. "They had music playing in the room to set the mood, and it just threw me off."

"Ever since then I've done. Even at Lake Oswego (near Portland), I drive past the cemetery, and there's a statue of Jesus with his hands up. That even scared me. I don't mess with statues no more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball- ... --nba.html

[Kabookalu]

That's one of the more odd phobias I've seen. It almost sounds like a gag for a sitcom.

[Scout Taron]

Oprah Winfrey is on the same level as MLK?

[EvanZ]

I'm scared of statutes.

[Hydroponic3385]

Waiters with 21 and 7 in 30 minutes