There are only 3 guys I'd take over Damian Lillard.

[Clifton]

Say if I could have any player for a 6 year Max deal. The only guys I'd take over Lillard would be the obvious ones: Lebron, Durant, and Chris Paul.

-I am nervous about Rose's injury. If I could trust him to be healthy, he'd probably be a fourth guy. He has most of the same virtues that make me so high on Lillard, but with more natural talent.
-I am nervous about Westbrook's approach to the game in general. He's a great player, and a #2 can be erratic at times (MJ's was; Shaq's was; Duncan's was) but a franchise cornerstone?
-Howard is an offensive nonfactor and is unmanly as a person. I can stand one of those things in my franchise big man but not both.
-Parker, Kobe and Wade are getting older. Duncan and KG are in the twilight of their careers.
-Irving is good, could be great, but he gets injured every week and IMO his kind of game (horizontal movements, contested jumpers after many dribbles) isn't as successful as Lillard's.
-Griffin hasn't shown me that he's willing to enforce his will on a game in any way. Perhaps this is because Paul's the clear captain and he's not fed the ball consistently, but the story of really multifaceted guys who are good players and good teammates but can't dominate a game (Rasheed Wallace) is a long one and they usually don't lead teams to titles.
-Melo, Rondo, Love, Harden, other guys in the 8-l5 range, I shouldn't have to further explain should I? Harden is probably the most compelling guy in this group. I simply think Lillard edges him out slightly as a prospect because of intangibles. Otherwise they're pretty similar and Harden has size on him.

Patience, toughness, humility, fearlessness are the timeless virtues that win you titles in any era and in any sport. Lillard has these things. In light of that, I got no time for erratic wonders like Westbrook, or corny mofos like Howard. And most of the other bright stars in the league are getting old. It seems to me Lillard is the brightest young prospect right now.

He is reactive yet assertive. He'll hoist shots up so quick if you blink you'll miss it, and they'll be from 25 feet out, but they're not bad shots. They're always in good rhythm. He'll drive in for acrobatic layups, but they'll never be forced, there will always be an opening. Even though he could be that guy at the park who waves off the pick because of his athleticism, he makes a point of always waiting for the pick if there's nothing open. He's very fast and athletic, but moves real slow and is never in a hurry. He's never too fast or too excellent for his teammates to keep up.

He's ambitious but humble. He's absorbed everything good that he's encountered since his high school days. 4 years in college. Gym rat, clearly his J is a product of years of work. Personally unassuming but will dagger you with zero pity if you give him an inch of space.

I can't wait to see this guy's career play out.

Show D-Lill some love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUOET9-4kgk

[nathanjizzle]

:milton

[Clifton]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUaPpgDpa9w

[The Choken One]

I'd take Steph Curry. Just saiyan...

[brandonislegend]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0

[iDunk]

Lillard isn't gonna improve that much. He's already like 22 or 23, his peak numbers aren't going to be superstar worthy..

[CeltsGarlic]

Ohh boy.
Motiejunas, Harden, Rubio, Marc, P.George,Curry...

[brandonislegend]

Ohh boy.
Harden, Rubio, Marc, P.George,Curry...

Kyrie, Dwight (even though he sucks right now), Tony Parker

[Clifton]

I'd take Steph Curry. Just saiyan...
Another great one. I don't know if his playmaking and leadership are quite what I see latent in Lillard though.


his peak numbers aren't going to be superstar worthy..
I didn't say they were. Luckily I'm not interested in numbers. Who's numbers aren't better than Chris Paul's right now?

[KyrieTheFuture]

He's not even a top 5 PG

[RoundMoundOfReb]

I'd take John Wall over Lilard as well. He impacts the game a lot more than his stats show imo.

[chips93]

Lillard isn't gonna improve that much. He's already like 22 or 23, his peak numbers aren't going to be superstar worthy..

this

hes older the john wall, and a month younger the holiday. holiday is a way better defender, and similar scorer, and better passer.

plus, lillard plays a ton of minutes, and while stamina is a good attribute to have, him playing so many minutes, makes him look a little better than he really is.

[Clifton]

hes older the john wall, and a month younger the holiday. holiday is a way better defender, and similar scorer, and better passer.
Dude, none of that matters. He played 4 years in college and never once played against a top 25 team. I can't tell you who's going to improve how much how fast. I can tell you that in ten years, Lillard will be the guy who everyone's still talking about, not Jrue Holiday (above average PG who might fly under the historical radar. I really like the guy).


He's not even a top 5 PG
When I claim what I claim in the threat title, it's looking forward. The PG position is stacked right now, and *right now*, that may be true. Because *right now* he's a rookie who spent 4 years playing against JV players and is still getting used to the NBA.

But I'll take Lillard at 30 over Westbrook or Wall at 30, easy. (If they're still in the league.)

Lillard has the Chauncey Billups factor of always being better than his comparatively weak numbers. I don't see his numbers ever going much higher than 22/7 - the kind of stuff Tony Parker puts up - but he'll always be doing more for his team than that indicates.

[imnew09]

Point guard wise I would take Kyrie, Rubio, Cp3,Rondo

[DuMa]

Portland curse is soemthing to think about yo.

[The Choken One]

Point guard wise I would take Kyrie, Rubio, Cp3,Rondo
You classify Curry as a PG or SG? Just wondering. I know a few of my friends consider him a SG.

[lilgodfather1]

Other than the super obvious i'd take Kyrie, Drummond, Cousins, Davis, and Westbrook over him.

In fact I think i'd take any very good big man over Lillard. Not a knock on him, but PG's do not win NBA titles as the best player, and aside from two outliers (Magic, Isiah) I don't think they ever will. A great PG needs a great big man to win, where as a great big man can win with good PGs.

[AirTupac]

LeBron
Durant
CP3
Howard
Paul George
Irving
Curry

[mrbigshot1]

I'd take Drummond.

[liquidrage]

At 22 Rose was 25 7 and 4 on .440 and Westbrook was 22 8 and 4 on .440

Lillard is 19 6 and 4 on .430

Obviously 1st year in the league so he has some getting used to. But I don't think he's going to go up a ton. Rose's 1st year when he was 19 compares favorably to Lillard's while Westbrook's first year (again at 19) was slightly less but his second year at age 20 was better than Lillard's current year.

In conclusion, I think the OP is raving mad.

[Nezty]

Ohh boy.
Motiejunas, Harden, Rubio, Marc, P.George,Curry...


Your man crush would bring your franchise down and get you fired, 10.5 mpg.

[PrettyCool]

"Irving is good, could be great, but he gets injured every week and IMO his kind of game (horizontal movements, contested jumpers after many dribbles) isn't as successful as Lillard's."

Irving is a better slasher and finisher than Lillard, not to mention 2-3 years younger. You should have just stop talking after your injury line.

It's much more of a stretch to say you'd only take 3 guys going forward over Lillard in the entire NBA than you'd take three guys going forward other than him in his draft class.

[GOBB]

Say if I could have any player for a 6 year Max deal. The only guys I'd take over Lillard would be the obvious ones: Lebron, Durant, and Chris Paul.

http://www.abload.de/img/cropp25kw0.png

[Mr. NBA]

I'd take Steph Curry. Just saiyan...
Put away Curry's injury history, I would take him. Lillard is top 10 PG his first year in the league. Lillard's power level is over 9000!!!, thats the super saiyan these days...

[imdaman99]

i like the kid, hes already hit a few game winners? but you're blowin smoke up his behind

[che guevara]

I live in Portland and think the OP's nuts. He's 22, how much room does he really have to grow? He's a nice player, probably will make a few allstar teams, but I'd be shocked if he was ever a superstar.

[secund2nun]

Lillard is massively overrated. I would take many young players over him.

[G-train]

This will be Lillard's best season.

And he is a terrible defender.

Good player, but I would take many players ahead of him for next 6 seasons.

Anthony Davis, MKR, Drummond from this draft alone I would consider.

Harden and Westbrook definitely.

Griffin, George, Irving definitely. Many others too.

Dwight Howard definitely.

[MetsPackers]

Ohh boy.
Motiejunas, Harden, Rubio, Marc, P.George,Curry...

:facepalm :facepalm
Really dude? You'd sign freaking Motiejunas to a MAX deal before you signed Lillard. I realize dude is from your country and everything but Motiejunas isn't qualified to sniff Lillard's jockstrap. He's OK at best, will possibly be a decent role player big man, but I also wouldn't be shocked if he wasn't in the NBA in 6 years either

[Clifton]

Not a knock on him, but PG's do not win NBA titles as the best player, and aside from two outliers (Magic, Isiah) I don't think they ever will.
This is the post-big man era. In this era Chauncey Billups has a Finals MVP. In 2007 Parker won Finals MVP, not Duncan, and if they win again this year (likely), he'll win another. Kobe won the FMVP for his last 2 titles. The two best teams in the league currently have no back to the basket player on offense and no elite paint presence on defense either.

Obviously he needs a well-rounded roster to win a title, but would anyone. He does not however need a great big man to carry him to one, because *those don't exist anymore*.

And for those of you saying Drummond............................... I don't know what to say to that. You're reaching. Being desperate for a big man prospect has been the number one draft fallacy in the last ten years. Remember that guy drafted above Jordan? Wade? Durant? Not that Lill is any of these guys but when when the better player also has more impact and more leadership, you go with the better player....

[TheGreatBlaze]

Damian has a word for all the haters in this thread

http://dimemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/damian-lillard-1.jpg

I love how that since he's 22 he's maxed out according to people. Like players didn't come into the NBA for decades after spending 4 years in college and improve. I remember the same stuff was being said about Brandon Roy every year from his senior year of college. I'm not saying he's a top 3 player or anything but people saying he's peaked and this will be his best season? Give me a break, watch the kid play he's improving constantly and wants to be great. 27/7/7 tonight with 5 3's. I just hope he can stay healthy.

[The Choken One]

To above...don't think people are really hating. Just not prematurely overrating the fhck out of him.

[Jailblazers7]

Not sure you can knock him being a 22/23 year old rookie when he already plays like a vet. He shows a ton of control out on the court and has skipped over a lot of the bonehead rookie growing pains.

I think its easy to say he won't improve or this will be his best season because his style of play doesn't scream future superstar. He still has plenty of things he can add to his game and his athleticism is underrated.

Some guys might have a higher ceiling than Lillard but I'm not sure how many of those guys have a higher probability than Lillard of actually reaching their ceilings.

[Clifton]

To above...don't think people are really hating. Just not prematurely overrating the fhck out of him.
I don't want to do that either. I don't think he's a top ten player right now. Or top anything.

I just realized the other day that he is the 4th most desirable prospect in the league because of a combination of factors. I found that more interesting than anything else. How for various reasons other players much better than him, or more talented, aren't as desirable as prospects because of some flaw.

[liquidrage]

I don't want to do that either. I don't think he's a top ten player right now. Or top anything.

I just realized the other day that he is the 4th most desirable prospect in the league because of a combination of factors. I found that more interesting than anything else. How for various reasons other players much better than him, or more talented, aren't as desirable as prospects because of some flaw.

Your scientific study belongs in the Scientology forum.

[fpliii]

:biggums:

[YouGotServed]

Just because you typed a long post doesn't mean it can't be crap. Your post is shit.

Saved, will neg later.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Lillard is overrated, lucky to be in a team that builds around him.

[All Net]

Really about the big 3 and now Griffin the gap is quite large...