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Last night, the rest of the league woke up to what Rip City has known for a while: Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard is a bad man, and Kirk Goldberry of ESPN confirms that in an analysis of the buzzer beater. Post-game, Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder said that Lillard had made a “bad, bad shot.” Goldberry breaks down Lillard’s 37-foot shot to argue otherwise.
As a whole, the league made just 25.9 percent of shots from that distance, so it’s fair to say that for most dudes, shots from that range aren’t very “good.”
Lillard isn’t most dudes. He sank 39.2 percent of his shots from 30 to 40 feet this season.
Lillard shoots from the logo with unreal accuracy, and Goldberry contends that players like Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Trae Young are changing what it means to shoot from beyond the arc.
Dudes like Lillard, Curry and Trae Young are special because their range extends far beyond what was normal or acceptable even five years ago. That trio combined to hit 71 of their 186 attempts on 30- to 40-footers this season, converting at a 38 percent clip while making up the entire top three in attempts from that distance.
Whether it is Lillard Time or Logo Lillard, his range and ability to perform in the clutch is what enabled Lillard to sink it from distance and clinch the series.
You can read more here.