Thorpe: Areas Of Potential Improvement For Blazers G Damian Lillard

David Thorpe of ESPN.com addresses some possible areas of improvement for Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

We've written about his overall talent and star potential in this space. However, to put it mildly, Lillard is awful in transition. As good as he is in the half-court game with his patience and decision-making, he's bad in the push part of the game.

Far too often he pulls up for a 3 off the dribble -- a shot he can get at any point in a possession and one he does not make often (most players shoot much better from 3 off the catch, not the dribble). Or he shoots the 3 after catching the ball off a hard run, rather than in an easier spot-up situation.

He also throws lobs in transition that are not close to being "there" for the receiver or pulls up for a contested 17-footer, which is maybe the worst decision a point guard can make; with more than 17 seconds on the clock, it is far better to search for a better look. This is an area where almost all point guards improve (Chauncey Billups is one of many prime examples), which is a good sign for a player who is already very good.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter