A prime example of stats vs impact and the importance of defense.

[97 bulls]

Last Night Dame Lillard dropped 55pts on the Nuggets head and set the record for most 3s made in a playoff game. The problem? The Blazers lost. Why? Their defense. In particular Lillards. What good is scoring all those points if you're gonna give up just as many on the defensive end? Journeymen Monte Morris and Austin Rivers combined for 56 pts in the win. For the record, Morris avg 10 ppg this season and Rivers avg 8.

I'm making this thread because I think more emphasis needs to be put on defense and its importance to winning. What good is all those points if your just gonna lose? Theres a reason why guys like Lillard dont win. It's their lack of defensive effort. And if they did apply more effort on defense, they probably wouldn't be able to score like they do.

Before I get the lame excuses, heres video breakdown backing up Lilards pathetic defense.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/nba/trailblazers/.amp/analysis/damian-lillards-game-5-defense-just-wasnt-good-enough

Mark 8:36

[Smoke117]

Defense is a foreign concept in this current league. Games are basically just shootouts now.

[TheCorporation]

Dr. 97 Bulls

Class is in session

:rockon:

[Spurs m8]

Yep...55 points with a +/- of just +2

I know +/- doesn't paint a full picture, but to score 55 and have it so small, says something.

It's why the league is shit now...shoot outs aren't fun...proper competition and dudes going at it (no homo) is what is entertaining

[97 bulls]

Dr. 97 Bulls

Class is in session

:rockon:

:cheers:

[SouBeachTalents]

The only stats that matter are ppg and efficiency, defense is irrelevant

[ImKobe]

Yep...55 points with a +/- of just +2

I know +/- doesn't paint a full picture, but to score 55 and have it so small, says something.

It's why the league is shit now...shoot outs aren't fun...proper competition and dudes going at it (no homo) is what is entertaining

It says his team sucks. It's not like he took every shot in those OTs, his teammates couldn't score and turned the ball over, they missed 2 open dunks and CJ turned it over at a critical point of the game. Nurkic fouled out too, so they were forced to double Jokic on every possession, hence the wide open 3s.

[mehyaM24]

ya barkley & magic were low impact bums lol

[3ball]

Portland was out-assisted and Lillard held the ball for 12 minutes, so the Nuggets' defense wasn't shifted as much and had more of time to rest - this made them fresher for offense and helped their efficiency...

Otoh, Tatum's 50 points occurred with only 7 minutes time of possession, so his team still out-assisted the Nets and wore down their defense - this wearing down hindered the Nets' attack

[Axe]

They really had a shot in winning that game, i believe.

Hope this series will go to game 7.

[3ball]

They really had a shot in winning that game, i believe.

Hope this series will go to game 7.


Ball movers don't lose to ball-dominators, so Jokic won't lose to Lillard

[Axe]

Ball movers don't lose to ball-dominators, so Jokic won't lose to Lillard
Sierra
Tango
Foxtrot
Uniform

[iamgine]

Last Night Dame Lillard dropped 55pts on the Nuggets head and set the record for most 3s made in a playoff game. The problem? The Blazers lost. Why? Their defense. In particular Lillards. What good is scoring all those points if you're gonna give up just as many on the defensive end? Journeymen Monte Morris and Austin Rivers combined for 56 pts in the win. For the record, Morris avg 10 ppg this season and Rivers avg 8.

I'm making this thread because I think more emphasis needs to be put on defense and its importance to winning. What good is all those points if your just gonna lose? Theres a reason why guys like Lillard dont win. It's their lack of defensive effort. And if they did apply more effort on defense, they probably wouldn't be able to score like they do.



Monte shot 7-18. Campazzo shot 1-5. Rivers shot 5-10.

Not saying Dame's defense is good cause he's terrible but come on.

[kentatm]

Defense is a foreign concept in this current league. Games are basically just shootouts now.

Hard to play D when shooting 35% from 3 is considered mediocre. It wasn't that long ago players could get by shooting 30% from 3. Now if you do that you'd better be all world at your mid range or a beast at defense. Shit even Rondo shoots 40% from 3 now.

[DABIGSALSISHA]

Last Night Dame Lillard dropped 55pts on the Nuggets head and set the record for most 3s made in a playoff game. The problem? The Blazers lost. Why? Their defense. In particular Lillards. What good is scoring all those points if you're gonna give up just as many on the defensive end? Journeymen Monte Morris and Austin Rivers combined for 56 pts in the win. For the record, Morris avg 10 ppg this season and Rivers avg 8.

I'm making this thread because I think more emphasis needs to be put on defense and its importance to winning. What good is all those points if your just gonna lose? Theres a reason why guys like Lillard dont win. It's their lack of defensive effort. And if they did apply more effort on defense, they probably wouldn't be able to score like they do.

Before I get the lame excuses, heres video breakdown backing up Lilards pathetic defense.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/nba/trailblazers/.amp/analysis/damian-lillards-game-5-defense-just-wasnt-good-enough

Mark 8:36

2021 weak sauce NBA

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/LawfulGrossDwarfmongoose-size_restricted.gif

[DABIGSALSISHA]

Defense is a foreign concept in this current league. Games are basically just shootouts now.


Junk. The nets games , I don't even watch them.

[97 bulls]

Monte shot 7-18. Campazzo shot 1-5. Rivers shot 5-10.

Not saying Dame's defense is good cause he's terrible but come on.

Lol. You guys cant stand the eye test huh? Morris was also 4-9 from 3 and had 11 FTs. I never mentioned Campazzo. And I provided a link that showed film of Lilard defense or lack there of.

[97 bulls]

ya barkley & magic were low impact bums lol

Barkley never won. Magic had Multiple Hofers on his team.

Look at what bad defense Barkley.

https://youtu.be/b21gAhukchE

Oh and for those keeping score, Jackson had enough confidence in Pippen to draw up a play for him, and allow him to make the right decision.

[iamgine]

Lol. You guys cant stand the eye test huh? Morris was also 4-9 from 3 and had 11 FTs. I never mentioned Campazzo. And I provided a link that showed film of Lilard defense or lack there of.

4-9 from 3 is not really extraordinary.

Sometimes guys go off. Just because he does, doesn't mean it's a prime example of anything. Lillard's defense is perfectly fine for the offense he provided.

[tpols]

If you see some of the shots guys like Luka made it would leave you scratching your head. Step back 30 footers with the defenders finger tips 3 inches away from the ball. He hit 4 of those in a row with an elite defender on him in the 1st quarter last night. Offensive players in previous eras simply couldn't do that.

[97 bulls]

4-9 from 3 is not really extraordinary.

Sometimes guys go off. Just because he does, doesn't mean it's a prime example of anything.Lillard's defense is perfectly fine for the offense he provided.

I didn't say it was. But its definitely good.

Even more important is the bold. That's ridiculous. Theres never a justification for playing shitty on defense. Especially when you lose.

[97 bulls]

If you see some of the shots guys like Luka made it would leave you scratching your head. Step back 30 footers with the defenders finger tips 3 inches away from the ball. He hit 4 of those in a row with an elite defender on him in the 1st quarter last night. Offensive players in previous eras simply couldn't do that.

Different era bro. The fact that even by your own admission, they get close to blocking his shot and they cant do to him what defenders of the past were able to do says a lot. Not to men8its frickn Luca bro.

[ImKobe]

If you see some of the shots guys like Luka made it would leave you scratching your head. Step back 30 footers with the defenders finger tips 3 inches away from the ball. He hit 4 of those in a row with an elite defender on him in the 1st quarter last night. Offensive players in previous eras simply couldn't do that.

That and you can't have one bad defensive player out there or he's just going to pick your team apart.

[tpols]

Different era bro. The fact that even by your own admission, they get close to blocking his shot and they cant do to him what defenders of the past were able to do says a lot. Not to men8its frickn Luca bro.

"Doing to him" doesn't work when you have to stretch 35 feet and stick like glue. And then they make it anyway. I've watched the repeats on NBAtv of the late 90s playoffs and defenders didn't stick to guys that far out all game long. They sagged down a lot. I was watching MJs 3pt explosion from 1992 the other day and almost every shot was wide open. Its not just luka... Curry, Harden, Dame, Durant... shit even LeBron is taking and making these shots.

They're literally jumping backwards and tossing up wild fade away 30 footers and hitting them with regularity. There's no defense for it.

[97 bulls]

"Doing to him" doesn't work when you have to stretch 35 feet and stick like glue. And then they make it anyway. I've watched the repeats on NBAtv of the late 90s playoffs and defenders didn't stick to guys that far out all game long. They sagged down a lot. I was watching MJs 3pt explosion from 1992 the other day and almost every shot was wide open. Its not just luka... Curry, Harden, Dame, Durant... shit even LeBron is taking and making these shots.

They're literally jumping backwards and tossing up wild fade away 30 footers and hitting them with regularity. There's no defense for it.

In 92, the book on MJ was you make him take those shots. Even he was amazed that he was making them.

Players are able to get away with more stuff today. They carry the ball like crazy, they travel. And the defense is much less physical.

[tpols]

In 92, the book on MJ was you make him take those shots. Even he was amazed that he was making them.

Players are able to get away with more stuff today. They carry the ball like crazy, they travel. And the defense is much less physical.

Dribbling styles have barely changed since the 70s or 80s. People were complaining about Iverson 25 years ago. Dean Smith in the 80s is on record saying he doesn't like pro ball because they travel and carry too much. The only guys who really abuse it big time are Giannis and Durant. Clippers have been plenty physical, but if he's going to make step back bombs over and over there's not much that can be done. You can double but then a role player gets a wide open spot up 3. Kawhi and Paul George are elite defenders in any era.

[Kblaze8855]

Theres a reason why guys like Lillard dont win. It's their lack of defensive effort.

Let him play with Lebron for years and then Durant and Harden together. See if maybe he wins a little more like Kyrie did and will.

Lillard doesn’t win because he has not chosen to go win yet. Just like everyone else.

Nobody who has won as a team best player the last 20+ years at least would have on Portland in his place. Mike himself would have just played great d and scored his ass off and lost anyway. Maybe in a later round but still lost. I watched him do just that for most of his career. That’s how it works.

Hes got a normal team in an era of super ones. Teams like how can only win when the super teams get injured. That’s really all there is to it. He decides to force his way to the Lakers suddenly he’d be a winner. And people would the use his rings against people without them like they didn’t see it happen.

Thats the league now. It’s not by chance the only top players of this era who have not won are the few who never played with another one.

Giannis, Dame, Embiid, and Luka will probably all lose till they mob up somewhere. It’s amazing how much more complete your game is when you have 2-3 guys who can win a series themselves on the same team. Lebron, Curry, Durant, Kawhi, Westbrook, George, Wade, Paul, Harden, and AD. More really. And it’s getting worse. Every single all nba first teamer from 2014 to now has played with another one other than Dame, Luka, Embiid, and Giannis(even Gasol and Deandre).

Its no wonder the ones with the least playoff success are the ones alone. It’s not that complicated....

[Kblaze8855]

Forgot Jokic. Who has also had no other all nba first teamer. And will likely lose.

Winners now are just who decide it’s time to stop playing nice and go do it.

Dame will win the moment he gets sick of losing just like Lebron, Durant, Harden, and so on.

[iamgine]

I didn't say it was. But its definitely good.

Even more important is the bold. That's ridiculous. Theres never a justification for playing shitty on defense. Especially when you lose.

Uh no. Being terrible defensively is fine as long as your offense more than make up for it. Especially at the PG position. Lillard didn't give up all those points. Blazers defense did. To act like Lillard singlehandedly hand out those points is pretty dumb.

[SouBeachTalents]

Forgot Jokic. Who has also had no other all nba first teamer. And will likely lose.

Winners now are just who decide it’s time to stop playing nice and go do it.

Dame will win the moment he gets sick of losing just like Lebron, Durant, Harden, and so on.
And sadly the cycle of idiocy from the fans and media will continue indefinitely. A guy on a 2nd tier or mediocre team will try to carry his franchise for several years, fans will clown him for not being able to win, the media will wonder if he has "it". Then he'll join a contender and the same morons who were harping on him for not having any titles will then decry superteams and how noncompetitive players are today. I've said it before, but unless a player gets drafted to a marquee or well run franchise, he's in a lose/lose situation right off the bat.

You'll see, even someone as well liked as Luka, if he gets to year 7 and still has no titles, the same scenario will play out for him too

[mehyaM24]

Barkley never won. Magic had Multiple Hofers on his team.

Look at what bad defense Barkley.

https://youtu.be/b21gAhukchE

Oh and for those keeping score, Jackson had enough confidence in Pippen to draw up a play for him, and allow him to make the right decision.

and yet, were all-time greats. magic in particular is argued a top 5 goat. not sure what your point is other than saying great teams win championships. which is obvious. brooklyn plays little to no defense and they're the vegas favorite.