Damian Lillard Claims Second Greatest Shooter Title

Damian Lillard claims he's the second greatest shooter in NBA history behind Stephen Curry.

What's behind Lillard's claim?

He ranks fifth all-time in 3-point makes with 2,804. Lillard is only 196 3-pointers away from joining the "Mount Rushmore" of players to hit 3,000 3-pointers.

Lillard's shot profile

The NBA's play-by-play tracking era dates back to 1996-97, making it difficult to compare Lillard to older players like Reggie Miller or Larry Bird. Lillard's case for No. 2 is built on his versatility in getting shots. He has an hour-long highlight reel of impressive shots.

Can non-Curry shooters match Lillard?

Only three players - LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Luka Dončić - have a scoring average surpassing Lillard's 25.1 points per game among the top 50 players on the NBA's all-time 3-point leaderboard. Lillard's numbers stand side-by-side with every non-Curry, non-Harden contemporary. He's likely to catch the leaders with a season-and-a-half of play, if that. And his shot profile is unmatched by most players. But Lillard's claim is still debated among fans and analysts. So what does the future hold for Lillard's shooting career?

What comes next for Lillard?

If Lillard is even half of the player he previously was, he's likely to join the all-time greats soon. As of now, only two players have hit 3,000 3-pointers. Lillard is closely tethered to fellow all-timers Klay Thompson and Ray Allen in the rankings. "content":