In case you missed it, Damian Lillard and Paul George exchanged some blows today, with the highlight being a Twitter back-and-forth between the two stars and Clippers guard Patrick Beverley as well.
After Dame bricked back-to-back free-throw attempts late in the game, the Clippers bench laughed at him as it all but guaranteed their victory. It sparked a comment from Damian about how he has eliminated both players in previous postseason matchups and that, unlike them, he hasn’t hopped teams to “avoid the grind.”
Well, PG responded to that statement, claiming that his stint in Indiana, though temporary, was still more successful than what Dame is doing in Portland right now.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) August 8, 2020
This sparked a huge debate online, with some taking George’s side, and others defending Dame.
https://twitter.com/krxscity/status/1292209915310804992https://twitter.com/hollywoodry_/status/1292213748535418881https://twitter.com/KvngLou_/status/1292208854395162624
Dame and PG13 both went as far as the Conference finals and Dame was missing Nurk… PG13 has no clap back game
— 🦑Vivan🦑 (@SquidVivan) August 8, 2020
So… who was more successful? There’s no real way to answer that. They both reached the Conference Finals, but neither made it past that.
In Indiana, PG13 was very much a superstar and his presence made them a threat to the LeBron-led Heat at the time. As for Lillard, the Blazers would likely be a lottery team without his services. And even though the team has seen limited success during his tenure there, he is beloved and revered by the fans — something PG gave up when he moved.
With the Pacers, PG’s averages are just 18 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Dame is looking at career numbers of 24 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds.
All-in-all, both players have a case — but the best way to settle it will be on the court this season. If Lillard can prove he is capable of leading the Blazers to a Championship, the haters will be silenced… and George will be the one who has to prove himself.
