NBA- OU players and general (this thread only)

[BoulderSooner]

He was just coming off a career high 32.2 ppg and almost won a scoring title while hitting his career high in FG%.

Talent-wise their roster took a step back but he was still playing at an extremely high level.

someone had to score on that team that lost 49 games .. and played TERRIBLE defense .. led by dame

 

[BCSooners]

Depends a lot on what the rest of your roster looks like. Holiday wouldn’t have carried those Portland teams to the heights that Lillard did. He doesn’t possess that kind of offensive ability or gravity.

I’d rather have a player that elevates teams in the playoffs, not the one who gets picked on every possession.

Gravity? lol

 

[cmdsooner]

I’d rather have a player that elevates teams in the playoffs, not the one who gets picked on every possession.

Gravity? lol

Yeah. Gravity. Guys who draw defenders and force defensive adjustments/irregularities. If you don’t believe he elevated teams in the playoffs you didn’t watch.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Holliday is certainly a better defender. But when their careers are over, I don't think any NBA analyst or coach would even try to argue that he was the better overall player. Holliday might be a better fit for a specific team, if they have stars who can carry the offensive load. But Lillard could carry his team to the playoffs and win series as the best player on the roster.

 

[BCSooners]

Yeah. Gravity. Guys who draw defenders and force defensive adjustments/irregularities. If you don’t believe he elevated teams in the playoffs you didn’t watch.

Well the Milwaukee Bucks got worse with Dame. Holiday also was just as good offensively on with the Bucks while being a ridiculously better defender. So I could care less about his so called gravity.

 

[BCSooners]

Holliday is certainly a better defender. But when their careers are over, I don't think any NBA analyst or coach would even try to argue that he was the better overall player. Holliday might be a better fit for a specific team, if they have stars who can carry the offensive load. But Lillard could carry his team to the playoffs and win series as the best player on the roster.

Ok so Lillard is better for bad teams & Holiday is better for good teams. I’ll take the latter.

 

[CoachTalk]

22-44 in the playoffs
won 3-4 total series


Hes not a winning player. sure. was a star. but not a winning star when it mattered.

 

[cmdsooner]

someone had to score on that team that lost 49 games .. and played TERRIBLE defense .. led by dame

Portland was 27-31 with Dame that year and 6-18 without him.

I’m not going to sit here and act like Dame was Gary Payton on the defensive end or something but no version of Jrue Holiday as a #1 option would even sniff the playoffs.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Ok so Lillard is better for bad teams & Holiday is better for good teams. I’ll take the latter.

Not remotely that simple. You are a smart enough fan to understand that.

 

[cmdsooner]

22-44 in the playoffs
won 3-4 total series


Hes not a winning player. sure. was a star. but not a winning star when it mattered.

Was he a winning player when he stuffed Oklahoma City in a locker in 5 games with less talent around him and initiated the tank job that resulted in the OKC Thunder we see today? People in this state should love Damian Lillard.

 

[WichitaSooner]

22-44 in the playoffs
won 3-4 total series


Hes not a winning player. sure. was a star. but not a winning star when it mattered.

So by this logic, Stacey King was a better pro than Dame, right? These arguments are always so silly in team sports. Mike Trout was the best baseball player on Earth for a decade. I guess he wasn't a "winner, though. After all, he did a terrible job drafting players and was really stupid for signing Pujols and Rendon. He probably should also be faulted for not pitching and/or also playing every other position on the field.

The other thing that always gets me -- people love to bitch when someone like LeBron or KD joins or creates a "super team." But Dame stayed loyal to the team that drafted him and the city that became his adopted home -- and people then bitch that he wasn't a winner because he couldn't lead a team without other stars to a title.

 

[BCSooners]

Not remotely that simple. You are a smart enough fan to understand that.

Ok what contending team gets better with Dame instead of Holiday? In the playoffs weaker defenders get hunted & defensive physicality ramps up, Holiday is primed for both of those.

I agree Dame is better at getting average teams into the playoffs.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

22-44 in the playoffs
won 3-4 total series


Hes not a winning player. sure. was a star. but not a winning star when it mattered.

I don't know Coach. He pushed Portland to the point of being relevant in the West, with CJ McCollum as the 2nd best player on the team. He could have left Portland in his prime and joined a super team, but he chose to stay. He certainly isn't the same player, as age and injuries have taken a toll on him. He never defended anyone which is his biggest negative, IMO. When he dispatched Westbrook & PG13, it was a happy moment for me because I don't like either of those guys....

 

[WichitaSooner]

Ok what contending team gets better with Dame instead of Holiday? In the playoffs weaker defenders get hunted & defensive physicality ramps up, Holiday is primed for both of those.

I agree Dame is better at getting average teams into the playoffs.

I’m pretty sure that if you put Dame in his prime on Denver or Golden State, for example, those franchises would have been at least as good if not better than they already were. Pair him with KD on a couple of the teams he has been on and that’s a lethal combo. Obviously it all depends on who else is on the roster, but that’s certainly true for Jrue, too.

 

[CoachTalk]

Ok what contending team gets better with Dame instead of Holiday? In the playoffs weaker defenders get hunted & defensive physicality ramps up, Holiday is primed for both of those.

I agree Dame is better at getting average teams into the playoffs.

This is it!

 

[WaymanFan]

In all fairness, Portland could never get over the hump because they never had enough talent in the post. They had a great backcourt with Dame and CJ, plus a very good coaching staff led by a Sooner legend . Dame was clearly a better overall player than Holiday, but I would agree the latter was underrated.

 

[BCSooners]

I’m pretty sure that if you put Dame in his prime on Denver or Golden State, for example, those franchises would have been at least as good if not better than they already were. Pair him with KD on a couple of the teams he has been on and that’s a lethal combo. Obviously it all depends on who else is on the roster, but that’s certainly true for Jrue, too.

I didn’t say Dame wouldn’t make those teams better. I like how long Dame stayed with Portland, I like how he seems to be a good person, I liked how he accepted his role on team USA, I liked Dame.

I have only made the argument that I’d rather have Jrue Holiday & that he makes contending teams better than Dame would. I think Holiday fits in on every team and makes all contending teams better no matter their construct. He’s an elite defender, tough as ****, can play on or off ball, and knows how to win. All while having good & efficient stats.

 

[BCSooners]

In all fairness, Portland could never get over the hump because they never had enough talent in the post. They had a great backcourt with Dame and CJ, plus a very good coaching staff led by a Sooner legend . Dame was clearly a better overall player than Holiday, but I would agree the latter was underrated.

How is he a better overall player? Dame is a better shooter & scorer but his percentages are lower than Holiday, because he’s a volume player. Dame in his prime was a top 3 offensive PG, and not even in the top 40 on defense. Holiday was (for a longer time) a top 3 defensive PG, and top 15 on offense. Also Holiday can play off the ball way better than Dame.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

The dame slander itt is crazy

 

[WichitaSooner]

Awards are not a perfect way to measure things (I mean, Derek Jeter was a bad defensive SS but won five Gold Gloves), but it’s noteworthy that Dame has been all NBA seven times … which is seven more than Jrue. And for those who think those aren’t fair to guys who are primarily defensive players, Draymond has made two All NBA teams.