Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 10. Damian Lillard
For now, Damian Lillard is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, and he intends to begin the season that way. That puts Portland on the map in the Western Conference, even if the supporting cast around him is deeply flawed and, to some, wholly inadequate for a player of Lillard’s caliber. You hear a lot of “he deserves better.”
Portland’s roster isn’t really that bad, and the Blazers’ record will probably reflect that. They’re a top five or six team in the West, which is no small accomplishment. It all starts with Lillard, who has become one of the NBA’s premier offensive engines. Last season, he averaged 28.8 points and 7.5 assists while slashing .451/.391/.928 on absurd volume.
Only Stephen Curry rivals Lillard in the 3-point shooting department, at least when it comes to volume and difficulty. Lillard doesn’t need much space inside halfcourt to let it fly. We’ve all see the wrist taps, the buzzer beaters — “Dame Time” is the epitome of clutch basketball.
With elite pull-up shooting, advanced court vision, and a blistering first step, Lillard doesn’t have much trouble creating offense, for himself or for teammates. He keeps the ball on a string, is one of the best pick-and-roll guards in a pick-and-roll league, and dominates the final two minutes of games like no one else.