Club 54+ and how Damon got there.
Damon Stoudamire joined an elite club when he scored 54 points against the Hornets. Only 43 players have ever scored 54 or more in a single game. Here is the list:
Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Glen Rice, Elgin Baylor, Allen Iverson, Pete Maravich, Karl Malone, Adrian Dantley, David Robinson, George Gervin, Jack Twyman, Oscar Robertson, Nate Archibald, Tom Chambers, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Fred Brown, Dominique Wilkins, Bob Pettitt, Lou Hudson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Bernard King, Richie Guerin, Chet Walker, David Thompson, Alex English, Jerry Stackhouse, Kelly Tripucka, Dave Bing, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Joe Fulks, Purvis Short, Elvin Hayes, Reggie Miller, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, George Mikan, Kobe Bryant, Murphy, Adams and Stoudamire.
Damon says a change to his pregame warmup has helped him raise the level of his game. Damon says he used to wear himself out preparing and by game time was already tired. Damon told the Portland Tribune:
“I have been a notoriously slow starter throughout my career,” he says. “I wasn’t going to shoot like that all year. The other part of it is, I was fatigued at the beginning of the season. I put in a lot of work during the summer, and in training camp and through the preseason, we didn’t have a lot of guards, I was getting heavy work in practice, and I was tired.“Right about the time Cheeks took me out of the starting lineup (on Dec. 17), I figured something out. I continued to work hard in practice, but before games, I cut back. Now, I go out and take 20 or 30 shots, get comfortable, shoot some rhythm free throws and save my legs for the game. That, along with going into a game with a more aggressive mentality, has made the difference for me.”
The Trib goes on to say this about Damon's resurgence:
Stoudamire’s resurgence over the last month is startling. Through his first 21 games this season, Mighty Mouse was mighty quiet, shooting .319 from the field, .272 from 3-point range and averaging 10.2 points. Coach Maurice Cheeks even removed him from the starting lineup.But in the 15 games since then, he is .495 from the field and .492 on 3-pointers and averaging 17 points. Stoudamire, a career .408 shooter (.355 from 3-point range), has scored in double figures in 11 of the games despite averaging fewer than 24 minutes. Over the last four games, he is averaging 29.3 points.
Source: Portland Tribune
This is a contract year for Damon. Maybe he is trying to look attractive to other teams. He must know that it is a very real possibility that he will not be re-signed. I am hoping he is. I admire Damon's toughness. Yes, I said toughness. He has weathered A LOT as a Blazer and as a person. He has come through it a better person and now a better player. Damon is worth keeping.
Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Glen Rice, Elgin Baylor, Allen Iverson, Pete Maravich, Karl Malone, Adrian Dantley, David Robinson, George Gervin, Jack Twyman, Oscar Robertson, Nate Archibald, Tom Chambers, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Fred Brown, Dominique Wilkins, Bob Pettitt, Lou Hudson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Bernard King, Richie Guerin, Chet Walker, David Thompson, Alex English, Jerry Stackhouse, Kelly Tripucka, Dave Bing, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Joe Fulks, Purvis Short, Elvin Hayes, Reggie Miller, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, George Mikan, Kobe Bryant, Murphy, Adams and Stoudamire.
Damon says a change to his pregame warmup has helped him raise the level of his game. Damon says he used to wear himself out preparing and by game time was already tired. Damon told the Portland Tribune:
“I have been a notoriously slow starter throughout my career,” he says. “I wasn’t going to shoot like that all year. The other part of it is, I was fatigued at the beginning of the season. I put in a lot of work during the summer, and in training camp and through the preseason, we didn’t have a lot of guards, I was getting heavy work in practice, and I was tired.“Right about the time Cheeks took me out of the starting lineup (on Dec. 17), I figured something out. I continued to work hard in practice, but before games, I cut back. Now, I go out and take 20 or 30 shots, get comfortable, shoot some rhythm free throws and save my legs for the game. That, along with going into a game with a more aggressive mentality, has made the difference for me.”
The Trib goes on to say this about Damon's resurgence:
Stoudamire’s resurgence over the last month is startling. Through his first 21 games this season, Mighty Mouse was mighty quiet, shooting .319 from the field, .272 from 3-point range and averaging 10.2 points. Coach Maurice Cheeks even removed him from the starting lineup.But in the 15 games since then, he is .495 from the field and .492 on 3-pointers and averaging 17 points. Stoudamire, a career .408 shooter (.355 from 3-point range), has scored in double figures in 11 of the games despite averaging fewer than 24 minutes. Over the last four games, he is averaging 29.3 points.
Source: Portland Tribune
This is a contract year for Damon. Maybe he is trying to look attractive to other teams. He must know that it is a very real possibility that he will not be re-signed. I am hoping he is. I admire Damon's toughness. Yes, I said toughness. He has weathered A LOT as a Blazer and as a person. He has come through it a better person and now a better player. Damon is worth keeping.
posted by KJM at 10:24 AM
<< Home