As if that wasn’t enough, The Brodie also edges out Dame Time in steal percentage (2.5% vs 1.3%) and defensive box plus-minus (+0.6 vs. Westbrook’s 43.8 career defensive win shares also completely knock Lillard’s 15.3 out of the water. Per Basketball-Reference, Westbrook has allowed 105.0 points per 100 possessions since 2009, versus Lillard’s 112. To give you an idea of what he’s Damian Lillard Vertical Jump Height & Stats Read More »SeasonTeamTypeGMinFGMFGAFG3PM3PA3PFTMFTAFTORDR201213PORReg8238:376.715.742.92.36.136.83.33.984.314PORReg8235:496.715.942.42.76.839.44.55.287.314PORPost1142:197.517.243.92.56.438.65.46.089.41.14.0View 18 more rowsThough Lillard has the slight edge over Westbrook this year, the advanced stats significantly favor Westbrook’s defense over his career. This makes him one of the best players in the NBA and ranks him among the top point guards around.
Damian Lillard has another accolade to add to his accomplished NBA career. Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda CA before transferring to Oakland High School after his sophomore season. Lillard started his high school career at St.
He’s always had the speed to keep up with any guard on the perimeter, and his size and strength allow him to switch onto forwards and even bigs for short stretches.Lillard is a fine defender when he tries, but it’s tough to put him over Westbrook in this one.When it comes to leadership, there aren’t many in the league who can steer their ball clubs the way Westbrook and Lillard do on the court.Westbrook’s leadership comes in his consistent on-court presence on both ends of the floor and production. With Russell Westbrook’s athleticism, though, choosing him as the better defender seems like a foregone conclusion. On the other hand, he isn’t always locked in on that end of the floor, and his defensive focus and motor have historically been called into question.
He’s also been in the 100th percentile in five of those seasons. Consider this: per Cleaning the Glass, Westbrook has been in the 92nd percentile and above in assist percentage every year since the 2013-14 season. Lillard is 7th and 11th in those categories, respectively. Triple Double for a reason: if playmaking is the main factor, given the two are point guards, then Russell Westbrook is easily the better leader.As it currently stands, he leads the league in both assists per game and assist percentage.
To be sure, this is affected by a litany of factors including team depth and strength of schedule. As evidenced by the Blazers’ stats with him on and off the court, they need him more than the Wizards need Westbrook.Despite all this, the on-court play of either guard hasn’t translated to any significant playoff success as the two only have three conference finals appearances between them. 31.6% of the Blazers’ offensive plays involve Lillard in some way, and he’s 11th in the league in that category. His team trusts him to come through for them on the offensive end, and more often than not, he does. You can’t deny the confidence that his offensive play can inspire, and the many ways that this contorts opposing defenses to create good shots for others.
Lillard vs Westbrook: The verdictUltimately, both guards seem evenly matched. Considering where the two stand at this point in time, this one will have to be a toss-up. Westbrook wins the numbers battle with more assists and usage rate, but Lillard wins when it comes to his on-court impact. Westbrook has earned the reputation of being a stat padder and a ball hog, while Lillard has been criticized for putting up empty stats on a losing team.It’s tough to come up with a better leader between two focal point guards in the league.