Damian Lillard is Playing Like an MVP
By Joshua Bishop
Yesterday, Haley O’Shaughnessy of The Ringer published an excellent article about the clutch career of Damian Lillard and why it means so much this year. Lillard has always been a clutch performer, but the current situation and personnel of the Trail Blazers make this year’s rendition of clutch play even more special.
O’Shaughnessy shares in her article an almost four-minute clip filled with game-winning 3’s and game-winning layups from Lillard. However, you’ll also notice that the Blazers lineup looked very different and had more star power in years past.
Players like six-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, 3-and-D specialist Wesley Matthews, swingman Nicolas Batum, and former starting center Robin Lopez have all left the Trail Blazers through trade or free-agency. Lillard is the only remaining starter from the formidable squad that upset the Rockets in a first-round series in 2014 and defeated a very talented Clippers roster in the opening round of the 2016 playoffs.
Despite losing four of their five starters, the Blazers are sitting at third place in the highly competitive Western Conference, behind only the blazing hot Rockets (who are sitting on a 16-game win streak) and the world champion Warriors. While the Blazers role players have certainly stepped up over this stretch, Lillard has been undoubtedly the main factor in the Blazers’ success this season, particularly late in games.
O’Shaughnessy brings up some amazing fourth-quarter scoring stats to show clutch Lillard has been towards the end of her article.
“Since the All-Star break, he has scored the most fourth-quarter points of anyone — guard or otherwise — in the league. After the break last season, Lillard finished fourth among guards in fourth-quarter scoring; after the break the season before that, he was second; and in 2014–15, he ended up with the most total fourth-quarter points throughout the entire season,” said O’Shaughnessy.
O’Shaughnessy’s stats illustrate how important he has been to his team’s success, especially late in games, over his career. One stat I found on my own shines a light on how important he has been during this particular run the Blazers are currently on. Lillard has averaged 35.4 points per game over the last 10 games for the Blazers. During that 10 game span, the Blazers are 9–1 and on an 8-game winning streak that included wins over the Thunder, Timberwolves, Jazz, and Warriors.
What Lillard has done over his career is immensely special. He went from not getting minutes as a high-school sophomore to playing basketball at little-known Weber State to somehow winning NBA Rookie of the Year over Anthony Davis. Now he’s a three-time All-Star (many believe he deserves more) and a two-time All-NBA Player. Damian Lillard has been very special for a long time. It just took a perfect storm like this Blazers season for us to notice.
