Damian Lillard is struggling to shoot early on this season. What seems to be the problem?
Damian Lillard is the Portland Trail Blazers‘ tireless leader. He was thrown into the position in the summer of 2015. At the time, the four other members of the starting lineup bolted for new destinations. Since then, he has delivered on the job.
The expectations are high this season as the team has a solid trio of Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, along with a formidable bench. Big picture, things have gone well, as the team is 4-2 on the season. However, there are some issues under the hood. One of them involves the team’s leader and his shooting.
Six games into the season, Lillard is averaging 22.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting a solid 37.5 percent on 3-pointers and 88.9 percent from the free throw line. The problem is occurring inside of the arc: Lillard is shooting 38.6 percent on 2-pointers, dropping his overall field goal percentage to 37 percent.
Lillard is normally an effective playmaker, capable of scoring in a number of ways. One of those ways came via attacking the basket with tough layups or pulling up from mid-range when the defense lays off too much.
In 2016-17, Lillard shot 58.6 percent in the restricted area and 43.1 percent on 2-pointers outside of the paint. But early on in 2017-18, those shots have become tougher to come by. Lillard is 40.6 percent from the restricted area, 21.3 percent below the league average. He is also shooting 27.3 percent from mid-range, 12.3 percent below league average.
Apparently, some fans have wondered if Lillard’s new vegan diet is partly to blame for his shooting woes. However, NBC Sports Northwest‘s Jason Quick put that foolish notion to bed, asking him directly following the team’s win to the Phoenix Suns. Lillard brushed off that theory.
"“I mean, it’s basketball, so I can’t blame making or missing shots on what I’m eating,’’ Lillard said. “If that’s the case, then … that’s crazy.’’"
In reality, it’s a combination of Lillard simply enduring a cold streak and defenses better preparing for him. After the 2016-17 season he had, opponent defenses are absolutely going to put more of a focus on him. Therefore, nothing is coming easy for Lillard.
Lillard is being played tight on his drives to the hoop, leading to some tough inside shots. In addition, teams have a done a decent job closing out on his mid-range attempts. Being the playmaker he is, he’s able to convert some shots with hands in his face. But most of the time, as averaged by his mid-range shot percentage, they fail to fall for him.
Moving forward, Lillard and Blazers coaching staff will likely look to adapt to the way teams are challenging him. Lillard will also work to find his inside shooting touch on his own to get back to his scoring ways. In the meantime, he will continue to contribute in other ways, such as facilitating for teammates and being aggressive defensively.
Next: 2017-18 Week 3 NBA Power Rankings
Damian Lillard’s shooting struggles are real. The 2-pointers, both at the rim and from mid-range, aren’t falling like they usually do. But coming off of two seasons of impressive point production, it’s hard to believe this slump will last for much longer.