Why Damian Lillard’s 'Second Greatest Shooter' Claim Isn't As Crazy As You Think

The basketball world is in a debate about Damian Lillard's claim about being NBA history's No. 2 shooter. But is the idea really that outrageous?

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard holds the trophy after winning the three point contest during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s been 13 months since Damian Lillard last took the floor for an official NBA game, and although his long-awaited return is temporarily on hold, conversations about his rank among the game’s all-time greats certainly haven’t.

We’ve officially reached the point on the calendar in which —  with games no longer being a night-to-night guarantee — “legacy talks” become popular. The Portland Trail Blazers’ megastar helped spark a discussion of his own by arguing that, yes, he would consider himself league history’s second-greatest shooter behind Stephen Curry …

And honestly, is he wrong?

A writer like myself has always been of the risk-averse type, and as “anti-clickbait” as it gets. But on this topic — Lillard’s status as basketball’s second greatest shooter — it’s always been worth wondering why a take of this type is deemed “controversial.”

But first, to lay out the facts:

Lillard’s Rank in the Record Books

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard celebrates during the second half after scoring a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center. The Nuggets won the game 121-120. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Reason No. 1 for why Lillard’s claim to being NBA history’s No. 2 shooter shouldn’t be outlandish.

He literally ranks fifth all-time in 3-point makes.

Simply put: this isn’t the same as if X-Pac argued he were D-Generation-X’s greatest member, or if Tito claimed to be the most popular of the “Jackson 5.” Not only do Lillard’s numbers stand basically side-by-side with every non-Curry, non-Harden contemporary, but everyone else on the leaderboard, he’s likely to catch.

If Lillard is even half of the player he previously was, he’s likely to only need a season-and-a-half — if that — to join the “Mount Rushmore” of players to hit 3,000 3-pointers. 

As it stands right now, only two players have. 

He’s only 196 3-pointers away.

There’s a three-player logjam, where Lillard (2,804) finds himself closely tethered to fellow all-timers Klay Thompson (No. 4, 2,899) and Ray Allen (No. 3, 2,973). 

A few years ago, when yours truly first made Lillard’s case for being a top-five shooter —  perhaps, even, before it was popular — it felt worth understanding why. 

Any case for Lillard begins and ends with the versatility in which he gets to those shots. The updated numbers certainly work in his favor.

Can Any Non-Curry Shooter Truly Match Lillard’s Shot Profile?

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-Imagn Images | Steve Dykes-Imagn Images

The NBA’s play-by-play tracking era dates back to 1996-97, which makes it difficult to put Lillard under a microscope against, say, Reggie Miller or Larry Bird, a likely pick among basketball’s “unc” circle. 

The aforementioned Hall of Famers are perfect picks for a No. 2 all-time shooter. But today’s metrics are helpful in that they outline different ways shooters, well, shoot. 

With respect to those who did do it expertly, can you seriously look this writer through his keyboard and tell him that a stand-in-the-corner, spot-up role player is a better shooter of the basketball than a player with an hour-long highlight reel of this caliber?

Lillard’s case for No. 2 is built on that fact. To name a few of the ways shooters can be measured: (1) in isolation settings, (2) in crunchtime, (3) off-dribble, (4) contested vs. uncontested, (5) shot depth and range, (6) game-to-game streakiness … (7) the fear of God they put in opposing defenses.

Or, you know, points. Of the top 50 players on the NBA’s all-time 3-point leaderboard, only three players — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Luka Dončić — have a scoring average surpassing that of Lillard’s (25.1). 

Nevertheless, it’s definitely interesting to take a look at where Lillard stacks up in a head-to-head with many of the players listed ahead of him on all-time shooting rankings. Some of the players mentioned may not be considered superior shooters to Lillard, but they were on the same tier, of sorts, on around-the-web lists.

For instance, the NBA’s tracking data monitors catch-and-shoot data from 2013-14 to now. Lillard shot 38.8 percent (on 2,332 attempts), which, in comparison, lags behind the competition, but not by much. To name a few:

— Kyle Korver — 45.4 percent (on 2,118 attempts)
— J.J. Redick — 44.8 percent (on 2,228 attempts)
— Kevin Durant — 42.2 percent (on 2,451 attempts)
— James Harden — 39.5 percent (1,802 attempts)
— Klay Thompson — 39.0 percent (on 4,945 attempts)

The initial statistic doesn’t necessarily speak to Lillard’s case for the No. 2 spot. Factor in, though, that for some of these players —  think Korver and Redick —  their primary job was to work off-ball and get uncontested catch-and-shoot looks, often due to the gravity of superstar players like Lillard. 

In short: it’s a head-to-head between the No. 1 on a scouting report against, say, the No. 4 or No. 5.

Ironically, Lillard creates his separation from those aforementioned shooters because of his ability to create separation. At his peak, it was a season-to-season ritual, seeing him on “most double teamed players” lists, or as the No. 1 finisher on shot difficulty charts. How many of those other guys prompted defenses to try full court double teams, willingly conceding a 4-on-3 because Lillard was just that impactful?

Which introduces one of the two aspects that truly swings the argument in Lillard’s case. The deep-range 3-point firestorm that Curry started in the mid-2010s? Lillard took it, and, statistically at least, became basketball’s greatest at it. To again compare him to some of his peers:

Damian Lillard's rank among elite shooters in 3-pointers from 30 to 40-feet away. | Self-made graphic.

This stands as, by far, the most distinctive pro-Lillard stat. No other shooter in basketball history — outside of Curry and maybe Trae Young — have turned every dimension of space in the halfcourt into a cheat code as Lillard has, and that counts for something. 

To list another that not only works in Lillard’s favor, but also speaks to a shooter’s worth. How elite of a sniper are you, truly, if you can’t be trusted in late-game situations? To illustrate:

Lillard vs. The Field in Clutch Situations

(Final five minutes ⇒ a one-possession game ⇒ postseason only):

Nash — .612 eFG% (on 76 attempts)
Miller — .579 eFG% (on 95 attempts)
Korver — .565 eFG% (on 46 attempts)
Allen — .550 eFG% (on 119 attempts)
Nowitzki — .549 eFG% (on 92 attempts)
Lillard — .529 eFG% (on 68 attempts)
Thompson — .494 eFG% (on 82 attempts)
Redick — .482 eFG% (on 58 attempts)
Stojakovic — .442 eFG% (on 43 attempts)
Harden — .407 eFG% (on 123 attempts)
Durant — .389 eFG% (on 144 attempts)

More information stacking here. Lillard’s case for No. 2 isn’t necessarily made here, but it does stack him among the competition. Portland’s soon-to-be Hall of Famer sees his case strengthened with a few caveats: a single-possession game, 30 seconds left; postseason only.

Lillard's rank among clutch shooters in the final 30 seconds of one-possession games, postseason only. | Self-created graphic.

One could argue that this is of more importance. After all, it weeds out the true, bonafide No. 1s and “Batman”-type players — à la Lillard, Nash, Dirk — from the “Robin”-like players (i.e. Thompson, Stojaković). The bus drivers vs. the bus riders, so to speak.

There’s also the delineation between an “all-time great shooter” vs.  an “all-time great scorer.” Players like Durant and Harden, despite their front row seats to some of history’s weirdest crunchtime collapses, fit squarely in the middle.

So, What's the Verdict?

It’s possible that we said a whole lot of nothing, but that’s the fun of basketball discussion.

A narrative can be warped to upgrade —  or downgrade —  any player it pleases. For instance: Nash’s two-time Most Valuable Player status, clutch gene, and 50-40-90 credentials could put the hammer to this debate with quickness. The same goes for Dirk Nowitzki.

Highlight montages will favor the likes of Lillard, Allen, and Miller, who are permanently etched into the Association’s fabric with unforgettable comeuppances in crunchtime playoff settings.

And, again, it becomes an entirely different debate if one incorporates the likes of Bird, or even Mark Price and Dražen Petrović, before-their-time legends who missed out on the 3-point volume boom. To name a few.

Is Damian Lillard outrageous for deeming himself the second-best shooter in NBA history? To this writer, absolutely not. In more ways than one, he feels beyond correct. And, the endorsements speak for themselves. There’s “Big Shot Bob” Robert Horry’s vote as league history’s most clutch shooter. Three different 3-Point Shootout victories, perhaps, helps his case?

There’s also the fact that he once recorded NBA history’s most efficient 60-point regular-season game and its most efficient 50-point postseason game — the 55-point flamethrower against Denver on a 96.8 true shooting percentage.

In public barbershops and online chatrooms alike, he’s this writer’s pick for the second-greatest shooter of all-time, as well. But, if someone were to say any of the names above, the beauty of basketball is that they would have a case of their own.

But there’s just something about making a professional basketball player thank God after finally missing a 3-pointer —  in the middle of a double-overtime playoff game, at that(!) —  that goes beyond anything one has ever seen on a box score.