https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/lillard-passes-18k-points-moves-up-nba-and-franchise-top-10s-in-win-versus-rockets
The full quote is seen here:
> Lillard, who reached 2,222 three-pointers in nearly half the number of games that Crawford, Terry and LeBron James, who is ninth all-time, needed to make the Top 10, also took the opportunity to wonder why he’s not considered one of the league all-time great shooters despite his ranking. He was quick to note that Stephen Curry, whose 3,248 threes is first on the all-time list by a considerable margin, is the best shooter in NBA history, but that he’s no slouch either, despite what some of his detractors might argue.
> “I always see stuff on social media where they talk about the greatest shooters of all-time and they always act like it’s just crazy for people to mention me,” said Lillard. “I think for how many threes I’ve made, for how consistent I make them, the level of difficulty that I shoot threes with over years and years and years, I just think it’s kind of crazy people don’t mention me in those discussions.
> **“Obviously I think Steph is the greatest ever, but I think after him, I don’t see why I’m not clear-cut in that discussion, not just by makes, but how I shoot it, how I make tough ones all the time, how easy I shoot the ball.** I’m looking forward to keep climbing that list so once I get up there in that top two, top three, I’m curious to see what people will say about me as a shooter at that point.”
by d33jay64
27 Comments
HE GOT THE SHOT OFF!!
He’s not wrong. He takes and makes the same kinds of shots as Steph, albeit at a slightly lower efficiency.
I’ve had the same take about Dame for a few years now. The numbers and shot types back it up too.
Obviously guys like Reggie and Ray and Bird don’t get a fair shot at the numbers because of eras, but that’s the same deal with Steph.
Also a guy that isn’t mentioned as much as he should be is Nash. I think he’d easily be a 25ppg scorer if he had the mentality to shoot more. I think he’d be looked at as one of the 5-10 most destructive offensive players ever if you doubled or tripled his 3pa and added that to his absurd playmaking.
Is calling Damian Lillard one of the best shooters of all time controversial?
He’s not like Steph where he has Kerr efficiency on an abnormal number of shots, but for how many he takes. he is rather efficient.
…not to blow my own trumpet or anything . . .
Facts
Agreed, Dame us the 2nd best ever
Dame is one bad MF
**Players who in a season have shot 40+% from three on 10+ attempts per game**:
* Damian Lillard 2019-20
* Steph Curry 2015-16
* Steph Curry 2020-21
That’s it.
You have to consider attempts per game, era, difficulty, versatility of shooting(off the dribble, heavily guarded, long range/distance threes, catch and shoot, etc) *and* efficiency all together to properly evaluate three point shooting.
When you do this, Dame is the 2nd best shooter of all time, with only Curry being clearly ahead of him. You can make an argument for Ray Allen being ahead but only by adjusting for era, even then Dame is at least a top 3 shooter and at the very very least top 5.
EDIT: Curry also did this in 2016-17 and 2018-19
Yeah people critiquing Dame for not shooting above 40% on threes with his type shot diet is crazy. People see Steph shoot above 41% consistently for most of his career and think that should be the standard. That’s Steph bro. Shooting those type of shots at 38% is top 10 shooter category to me
If we count difficulty of shots.. dame is obviously second best.
I’d still put klay over him
I’m actually curious as to how many other guys are realistically contending for 2nd best all time.
I’m thinking at most, realistically, 4. Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Larry Bird and Klay Thompson. Maybe missing KD, Dirk and Peja? Not sure. Steve Nash? Super efficient but never really shot or scored at super high volume, so idk.
Personally I’d put Dame in the same tier as Reggie and Ray.
Those two were definitely more accurate, but they can’t match Dame’s ability to shoot it off the dribble either.
With the type of shots he takes and how he shoots them at a high volume while very consistently being a great 3pt shooter it’s hard for me not to have him at 2
Dame is a great 3 point shooter but another question you have to ask is…the game is on the line and who takes the 3? Steph or Dame?
Bird’s gotta be up there. God knows what he would have been in this era
Only guy in NBA history who comes close to Steph’s volume, efficiency and shot difficulty.
Dame did get dealt a shit hand with him and Steph sharing the same prime.
“What if Iverson could shoot to 35 ft?”
“What if Iverson could shoot to 35 ft and had elite off-ball?”
“Let’s do both.”
For me, I gotta put Reggie above Dame. Dame is awesome, love Dame, think he is incredible, but man Reggie was the shooter you really had to worry about in his era. He was synonymous with shooting in the late 90s, he WAS the 3 point threat in the league. And that was during a time where you worked the paint. He was the Pacers at the time to and would claw them into the playoffs and through the rounds (no disrespect to the very underrated Rik Smits).
Reggie was 3 pointers in his era and made incredible shots time and time again.
I see no lies
It’s funny that all blazers superstar got overshadowed by a better iconic player in her Era with same abilities. Drexler-Jordan / Roy-Bryant
I have Dame at 2. His effortless range, historical efficiency and volume do that for me. Plus, he deep bombs aren’t heave looking which is so fucking dope
Yeah, other then Steph who rules the 3pt shot, I have Allen, Miller and Lillard as the best in no particular order.
I think Dame is definitely the 2nd most gifted 3 point shooter of all time.
These arguments are so dumb. Dame is a great shooter. If you look at guys like miller and Allen they work well off picks and curls and have great shooting fundamentals. They played in a way different era and is hard to justify. Just wish everything wasn’t such a debate and we can enjoy past and present
I’d say Klay is second best