he had an 18.6 PER in the regular season. he played above his head. like lamarcus aldridge. if aldridge could consistently hit the shots he was hitting against great defense from asik and howard, he would average 30 points a game on 55% shooting going up against the average nba defender over the course of the nba season. unless people think asik and howard aren't good defenders and 20 foot fadeaways with a 7 footer contesting are easy shots. instead he shoots 46% with a mediocre 50.7 TS%. same thing with lillard. the rockets may not be a great defensive team (about average, actually ranked above portland) but beverley is known for defense and lillard still scored on him. he shot 23 for 47 on 3's in this series, and i recall very few of them being open catch and shoots. even if our D was terrible on the last play, it was still a 27 foot, catch and turn while fading left 3 and he swished it. he had 4 point plays, off the dribble 3's with big men in his face, catch and turn quarter ending 3's and game-winning 3's. if all you saw were the releases of his 47 3's, there's no way you would guess he hit basically 50% of them. there's no way the average 3 he took in the regular season was so much tougher than the 3's in this series that he only hit 40% of them. he was amazing and credit to him and aldridge, but we faced a team with its 2 best players playing essentially as well as they could possibly play while our best player really struggled for most of the series. and there were still 3 OT's and a game settled on a buzzer beater. it's actually surprising we didn't lose in 5 games with few close games involved. maybe this springboards lillard to a better year next year, but for right now it was a hot series and it just happened to be against us.
I've been high on Lillard since last year (his rookie year). Clutchfans hated on him pretty hard. Go back and look at his rookie year thread.
Maybe because sports isn't that serious. Dwight Howard also hoped they won a title which is saying more than fan saying it.
I'm still hungover from a night of drinking in the nastiest bar in the Tenderloin to TRY to forget that shot and losing the series, but I have to be fair, if not rational. Lillard played great, for sure beyond his ability for the series, and was very respectful of the Rockets in interviews. There's no reason to hate on the guy. He deserves credit for what are now career highlights for him to win a very closely contested series. But a star? Let's get back to planet Earth before making a reservation in the Hall of Fame after one great playoff series. There was a bit of luck with some of those long 3s going in (the basketball gods simply not helping the Rockets), but more importantly, the Rockets' matador perimeter D was the most obvious weak spot of the team, and Lillard took fulladvantage of that. As it was said a million times on TNT, Beverly is not enough to anchor their perimeter defense, and certainly not with whatever superflu the poor guy had. I don't think he'll have the same success against the Spurs' backcourt, but I would expect it to be a good series.
Dude, this is sport, not real life. In sports, everyone is trying to beat the opponent. Why do you want to hate the fact that your opponent is trying to beat you? When the game is over, they are not your enemies anymore, unless they did something dirty or douchey or something to you. That's why you are supposed to shake hand with your opponent after the game. Simple sportsmanship recognizes what sport is. IT IS NOT REAL LIFE.
LMA has been pulling the Blazers wagon, not Lillard. Unfortunately, both guys went stratospheric against the Rockets. Add in some sorry refs calls plus a last-second buzzer beater and it ends up 4-2 Blazers. I have no excuses for Harden disappearing act. At least he decided to bring it last night. I don't mind the Blazers advancing. It would make me feel better if LMA, Lillard and the others continued the stellar play because the Rockets loss wouldn't seem as worthless. I hope the Blazers crush the Spurs or Mavs.
No player can anchor a defense, the team has to have good defensive principles and coached well in that area... but Damian IS a star player. That means I think he'll make multiple All-star appearances...but Superstar? As in a top 10 player? Nah not yet. Maybe he was so hot because of porous defense or maybe it was because he's a playoff performer and we are just learning that.
Its that competitive nature. I guess its different since I'm sure a lot of guys on the Rockets are friends with some of the players on the Blazers. It's easier to take it when your friend owns you, you're still friends. From a fan perspective (hell everyone on both teams are strangers) but you relate to the Rockets more and you tend to alienate the members of the opposing team. I feel like the Rockets went to the playground and got sucker punched. I'm not going to wish the Blazers luck. Yes, its a game, but I don't believe the Rockets are obligated to wish the Blazers luck nor should it be expected. Its different when we're all playing pickup against strangers. Of course we're going to say good game. There is nothing at stake, we're playing for fun. Like it or not, the NBA is more than a game, its a multibillion dollar industry its not just some pick up game at the local YMCA. There is an aspect of pride, passion, and prestige that comes with it.
You are not making sense. Nobody is saying that you are obligated to root for them. What we are saying is that you are not obligated to root AGAINST them either just because they beat you. We just happened to be playing the Blazers because of the seeding. They didn't come to the park looking for us to beat us up. What does that have to do with NBA being a multibillion industry? Hollywood is a multibillion industry. What happens in a movie is not real life.
Seriously? I thought you were going to talk about Daniels. I can't with Lillard right now, I just can't
Ban the OP, find where he lives and send BigTexx over. This is obvious trolling by someone who isn't a Rockets fan.
Anyone on this board care to see an article concerning Damian Lillard? Well here is one in the Oregonian (click on link below). After reading it, I think that for his sake, it helps him now having been raised out on the streets of Oakland, California being the kind of player he is now, as far as not being afraid of what kind of a defender the opposing team will throw at him. At this time, I wonder if he'll continue to wear a Portland Trailblazers uniform on the season after his current rookie contract is scheduled to expire. Only time will tell, if anything. Link-->http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...ssness_from_oaklan.html#incart_special-report
That would accomplish.... ? Oh, that's right, the OP would end up with a photo of his house with a doll head in the foreground. That would show him!
I have no arguement wth that all. I just wish a certain 2 guard and backup point guard played better defense, because that (the perimeter D) seemed like the Rocket's biggest weakness. I'm a diehard Rockets fan but the guy certainly deserves respect for his tenacity and clutchness in the series and I see no reason to hate on him. I'm curious to see what he does in the next round.
a girl loses both her hand in an accident and is laying in the hospital bed with her family and boyfriend. Boyfriend says "hey it's ok babe, at least you can still suck my dick" The hospital situation or this thread, which one has worse timing?
