Score first PG has the connotation of a ball hog who doesn't look to set up team mates. In most cases though this is not exactly the case. There are mainly two ways to get teammates good shots:

1. run plays to get a teammate a good look.

2. create for yourself, force the defense to adjust, and pass to open teammate.

By a show of hands, who thinks the blazers have someone who can do either of those two things?

Damian Lillard is a small(ish) scoring PG who thrives with the ball in his hands. His stats from last year:

MPG: 34.5 PPG: 24.5 FG% 46.7 3P% 40.9 FT% 88.7 REB: 5.0 AST: 4.0 STL 1.5

What I see are a lot of points and really great shooting %'s for a guard. So ok he plays for a mid major and against lower competition. Well haven't we seen that the mid levels of college ball are much better then they used to be? Plus every team he played against were trying to shut him down, but they couldn't.

Only 4 assists? but yes who were his teammates in college I ask you? Not sure (and no offense to them) but there were not any other big time scorers to go to. By the way he had the 2nd highest rebound average on his team, for a 6'2" PG!

When a score first point guard makes NO sense: when a team has another ball in hand player (Lebron, Kobe, etc)

Sure when Brandon Roy was here a pass first PG was what we needed because we already had a perimeter scorer and play maker.

Now however, this makes complete sense. Damian can step in and be the primary scorer (from the perimeter, LA overall) ball handler and play maker. Wes is abetter spot up shooter, as is Batum, and Babitt.

Lillard could create with the drive, set up others off the pick and roll, and knock down 3's.

Playoff teams with a scoring point guard: Spurs - Parker, Thunder - Westbrook, Clippers - Paul, Jazz - Harris, Bulls - Rose

Playoff teams with a scoring 2 guard: Grizzlies - Mayo , Hawks - Johnson , Heat - Wade, Celtics - Allen (iffy).

That's 9 of the 16 playoff teams with a score first player at one of the two guard positions. It is difficult to be competitive without some scoring and creating from the perimeter. The Blazers answer: Damian Lillard.

So let's hear it, why am I wrong?