Damian Lillard

[Yung-T]

Think Portland will pick him at #6.

[jtr]

Originally Posted by coachbadlee Here is a workout video. He looks taller than first thought. I have seen different listings for his height. Some 6'3 others 6'4. This kid has some heavy promotion going. Nice little "unofficial" commercial.

Both draftexpress and nbadraft have him listed at 6'2". He does have the potential to be a very good NBA PG, but has played in college as a combo. But if he can show that he can play the point in the NBA he could be very good.

[Medicine N Music]

Originally Posted by coachbadlee Lillard will go top 6. There are just too many teams in the top eight in need of a PG. Sacramento will probably draft him at 5.

Sacramento has Isiah Thomas Jr, so I doubt they'll be getting him. If anything they're looking for veteran help at the PG spot.

[SPF35]

Originally Posted by coachbadlee Here is a workout video. He looks taller than first thought. I have seen different listings for his height. Some 6'3 others 6'4. >

Watching workouts/practices in my opinion is the best way to evaluate

[Rivers]

I see Lillard going 6,8 or 10. He is a need for Blazers, Raptors, Hornets.

[coachbadlee]

This is why he is worth the pick at #5 or #6.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/in...lard-poll.html





Damian Lillard
Weber State
Position: PG
Height/weight: 6-3, 185

Mock drafts:
• NBA.com: 6, Blazers
• NBADraft.net: 6, Blazers
• RealGM.com: 6, Blazers
• HoopsWorld.com: 6, Blazers
• SI.com: 8, Raptors
• DraftExpress.com: 10, Hornets
• ESPN.com (Insider): 10, Hornets
• SportingNews.com: 10, Hornets
• SB Nation: 10, Hornets
• CBSSports.com: 11, Blazers
• NBA Draft Insider: 11, Blazers

[Carl Herrera]

He looks like a nice player, and certainly hyper productive in college, but did Weber State really play anyone good?

[dje243]

Originally Posted by Clutch Nothing says "Come on down!" to Sergio Llull like drafting a third point guard. Lacking that star you likely still have to go best available -- there is no definite position that the Rockets "need" to draft over taking the player with the most upside in general, though big men in general are still in short supply. As for need though, there could be a case for drafting a point guard, especially if you have a Kyle Lowry trade in your back pocket. Goran Dragic returning is not 100%. Thread not complete without some Lillard highlights:

He looks great. But I will be sorely disappointed if we draft a PG no matter who he is. I think we need to invest in big men more than anything else, and if you have a shot at a SG with some real upside then you obviously have to take that chance too. With the way we deal with PG's around these parts, it's hard for me to get excited about drafting one. I'm also not sure drafting a PG is the best messenge to send Dragic:

"You're our PG of the future! Nevermind what we did to our last two starting PG's of the future! By the way, we drafted a PG with a lot of upside, but don't worry you're our guy!"

[xiki]

Originally Posted by Clutch Nothing says "Come on down!" to Sergio Llull like drafting a third point guard.

So, Llull wants to come over but decides there is a logjam at TheToyShop. DM the GM goes to the 'ASSET hat' and swaps him for positive return. What's so bad about that?

Lilliard is the Point of affection everywhere, yes? So it seems. OK, how much value is gained by having the #6 pick over say the #12? There appears to be a large tier of guys who could go anywhere in that range???

[DasouthDakota]

I don't understand the obsession with this kid. He isn't a real PG. An undersized 2, who put up points against bad competition.

[coachbadlee]

NBAdaft.net:

http://www.nbadraft.net/damian-lillard-radar

Damian Lillard: On the Radar By Eric_Yearian Thu, 05/31/2012 - 10:44pm Few college hoops fans had heard of Weber State's Damian Lillard coming into the season. Playing for Mid Major Weber State (Ogden, UT), he received a medical redshirt after injuring his foot nine games into last season. NBADraft.net first got a chance to scout Lillard at the adidas Nations camp in the summer of 2010 in Chicago, (and once again in LA at the same event in 2011) and came away very impressed projecting him as a first round pick. It was not unanimous however as there were scouts in attendance (in Chicago) that felt he wasn't a lock to be drafted due to a low release point on his jump shot and questionable point guard skills. Fast forward two years and Lillard is on the brink of being a top 10 pick and considered the top point guard prospect available for this year's draft, even drawing comparisons to former Duke standout Jay Williams. So, how does such a stellar player fly under the radar as much as he has during his time in college? Well, for one, he was hiding out in the Big Sky conference. Even though they combined for only 3 in-conference losses this season, Montana and Weber State just don’t amount to appointment television. They fell short of the NCAA tourney and thus Lillard didn’t get the opportunity to play on national tv the way players at major conference schools do. Coming out of Oakland, California, Lillard received little interest from high-major schools, with the Pac-10 passing on him. The fact that he was a late bloomer is seen as a positive as he bypassed the coddling and accompanying sense of entitlement from AAU play that derails many talented prospects. Despite the lack of national exposure, Lillard isn’t flying under the radar of NBA scouts and general managers. Draft analysts/scouts have him rated at or near the top of their draft boards for his position. The 6’2” guard burned opposing teams for an average of 24.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He had the second highest points per game average in the nation, and for the metric stat junkies out there, was second only to Kentucky’s Anthony Davis in player efficiency rating. There are obviously questions surrounding Lillard. Workouts leading up to the draft will be especially important for him. People want to know if he can play with players from big time schools. Those that believe in him will implore you to look at his stats over the course of his 104 collegiate games. His detractors will ask you to imagine the stats players like Kentucky’s Marquis Teague, Washington’s Tony Wroten, or Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor would have put up playing in a mid-major conference. But with Lillard, stats don’t tell the whole story. As previously mentioned, he suffered a foot injury last year that cost him all but 9 games. Despite being unable to play, he focused on getting better as a player. He studied game tape and was a workout machine. He never let up, and it’s now paying major dividends for the young guard from Oakland (home of other notable point guards Gary Payton and Jason Kidd). He came back from his injury stronger and better than ever. This past season, he set career highs in just about every important category. His scoring, assists, and rebounds took a jump up, his shooting percentages spiked, his turnovers came down and he made 88% of his 257 free throw attempts. He is capable of sizing defenders up and blowing by them for a highlight dunk or drawing fouls. If you guard him for the drive, he’ll calmly sink a three over the top of you. He helps his team on the boards and dishes out to teammates. He was far-and-away the best player on his team, but still kept others involved. With that said, he still is not viewed by some as a true point guard. He is a score first type guard who at times develops tunnel vision, only looking for his own driving lanes. Scouts will have to determine if this is a product of him playing on a team lacking talent around him, or if it will continue even at the next level. He isn’t an elite ball handler, either, which could cause issues for him. Fortunately for him, he’s faced adversity before. He has done nothing but improve all facets of his game during his time in the collegiate ranks. Due to his medical redshirt resulting from his foot injury, he could have elected to remain in college for another year, but chose to become an early entrant. With a draft class that is thin at the point guard position, he has the opportunity to go as high as mid lottery. Lillard is one of the best conditioned athletes in the draft, as he never lets up, having averaged over 34.5 minutes per game last season, so he’s used to going all out with little rest. Lillard may have gone mostly unnoticed by the casual fan, but when the draft rolls around, NBA teams will be looking to trade up for the opportunity to select him. He may not be a prototypical point guard, but in today’s NBA –where point guards are relied on to get into the paint and collapse defenses thanks to the elimination of hand checking on the perimeter –he could be a perfect fit as a high level point guard. It may take time for him to develop the point guard skills to become a stand out and get used to playing against the best of the best on a nightly basis, but it would be unwise to doubt him. Opponents doubted him and he torched them. People doubted he’d come back from his injury and he came back even more explosive than he was before. Now, it’s time for him to show the NBA just how good Damian Lillard really is.

[BimaThug]

Originally Posted by Clutch Nothing says "Come on down!" to Sergio Llull like drafting a third point guard.

Originally Posted by xiki So, Llull wants to come over but decides there is a logjam at TheToyShop. DM the GM goes to the 'ASSET hat' and swaps him for positive return. What's so bad about that? Lilliard is the Point of affection everywhere, yes? So it seems. OK, how much value is gained by having the #6 pick over say the #12? There appears to be a large tier of guys who could go anywhere in that range???

Keep in mind that (a) Lillard--if picked in the lottery by the Rockets--would obviously be viewed by the organization as a superior prospect to Llull; and (b) Llull is likely going to command a sizeable contract if he comes over.

Llull's contract would likely be similar to Scola's initial deal - 3 years, $9-10M. That's approximately the same amount that the #6 overall pick makes during the first 3 years of his rookie deal; and the Rockets wouldn't have the benefit of a FOURTH year team option AND the ability to keep that pick as a restricted free agent after that fourth year.

I agree with xiki that Llull's rights can always be traded for something else of value. Here's hoping it's more than just some luxury tax relief in a year or two (like the Spurs got for Scola).

[mike_lu]

The way he gets to the rim and finishes reminds me of Kevin Johnson (Phoenix) ... although KJ was a much better passer but didn't have a consistent 3-pt shot ...

[RV6]

Originally Posted by mike_lu The way he gets to the rim and finishes reminds me of Kevin Johnson (Phoenix) ... although KJ was a much better passer but didn't have a consistent 3-pt shot ...

I see some KJ, but also some Rose.



An athletic player who works hard, can drive, AND shoot is always intriguing because that can be a pretty complete player. i'd be worried about his size because he's not as physical as lowry and i'm not sure he's faster than brooks, with the ball, at least. I've seen his workout videos though and he's doing some good stuff.

[xiki]

Originally Posted by BimaThug I agree with xiki that Llull's rights can always be traded for something else of value. Here's hoping it's more than just some luxury tax relief in a year or two (like the Spurs got for Scola).

Llull's desire to come to the NBA coupled with talent level will valuate his
assetedness.

I hope he forces the issue with his play and then let everything sort itself out.

[coachbadlee]

Heres Lillard's interview.

[RV6]

[ROXTXIA]

Originally Posted by BimaThug I agree with xiki that Llull's rights can always be traded for something else of value. Here's hoping it's more than just some luxury tax relief in a year or two (like the Spurs got for Scola).

If Dion (Waiters?) has a lottery promise, and he's seen as a combo guard, doesn't that place a high stock on Llull? He has a lot of similarities, in fact, he's a little taller and better at the point.

As long as his rights go to a team needing him, wouldn't he be worth a late lottery pick (IF he doesn't get cajoled into re-signing with his current team)?

[Juxtaposed Jolt]

It'll be nice to see a player from a tiny college get drafted in the top 10.

[jopatmc]

Originally Posted by ROXTXIA If Dion (Waiters?) has a lottery promise, and he's seen as a combo guard, doesn't that place a high stock on Llull? He has a lot of similarities, in fact, he's a little taller and better at the point. As long as his rights go to a team needing him, wouldn't he be worth a late lottery pick (IF he doesn't get cajoled into re-signing with his current team)?

He won't be there. He will be gone in the top ten.