[image source: NBC Sports]

A few nights ago, Damian Lillard hit one of the best game-winning shots I have ever seen in my life. It was cold. It was ruthless. It was a series-ending shot. It sent OKC home for the summer. Its something special and unique to witness.

But it was a terrible shot.

After the game, Paul George, who had the unfortunate duty of guarding Dame on that shot, was asked about his defense. He praised Dame for the make and then said that it was a terrible shot. You have to live with that shot because it really is a bad shot.

That comment apparently really offended Dame. And now people are defending him saying it was bad defense and not a bad shot. But, really, think about this for a second. It was a tie game. Any made basket, even one free throw, would win the game. Dame decides to take a step back jumper from 37 feet out as time expires. He didn’t even give his teammates enough time to tip in a rebound. It was either that shot or OT.

Any way you look at it, no matter who is shooting, no matter how many they scored before that shot, a 37 foot step back jumper is the best shot you can hope for as a defender. It’s the shot you want to force. It is a low-percentage shot from anyone. PG stopped Dame from driving to the rim or taking a mid-range jumper, both of which are definitely higher percentage shots. He forced him into a shot that would piss off every coach on any high school basketball team across the Nation. You don’t take that shot. Unless you have to.

People, like Draymond Green (I can’t believe people actually enjoy Draymond Green), are saying that if you score 50 points, no shot is a bad shot. That’s just untrue. You take a shot from your own baseline? That’s a terrible shot. You shoot backward? Bad shot. You shoot at your own goal? Bad shot. You take a 37 foot step back jumper as time expires? Bad shot.

None of this is taking away from how great that shot was. If anything, it makes it better. It’s a tough shot, it’s a bad shot, and he still made it. That’s impressive. But Dame acting like that’s a routine shot is stupid. It’s not. If anyone on my team took that shot, I’d cringe. If I see anyone taking that shot, I’m assuming it’s not going in. If Dame missed that shot and OKC ended up winning in overtime, we’d all be laughing at how stupid a decision that was.

We can’t let the results bias our opinion of the actual decision. If you go to Las Vegas and bet your entire savings account, all of the money you have in the world, on black…that’s a terrible decision. You may win, you may double your money, and that would make it feel like the best decision that you’ve ever made. But it’s still a terrible decision. Because there were better options. The results don’t impact whether or not the decision was a good one.

Dame made a bad decision. He took a bad shot. It worked for him. It turned out great and it will be a historic moment, repeated ad infinitum on his highlight reels, but it was a bad shot. It was a poor decision.