Many were surprised to see Damian Lillard not be included as part of the NBA’s Western Conference All-Star roster. I see Lillard as one of the most entertaining players to watch in the entire NBA, and for that reason alone I was very surprised and disappointed, that the point guard out of Weber State won’t be playing on Sunday. Lillard’s numbers just shout All-Star, as he is currently averaging 21.7 points and 4.6 Rebounds per game. These are obviously very good numbers for a point guard. On top of that Lillard is also putting up 6.3 assists per night. These numbers should be worth of an All-Star selection.
The bigger question though is can Lillard win NBA MVP?
With his play and the success it has brought to the Portland Trail Blazers, he is undeniably in the race right now. Lillard has the talent, the drive and the team around him to get it done. His numbers aren’t quite up there with James Harden or Steph Curry, but Lillard can continue to improve them. He said just recently that his All-Star snub will drive him on the court:
“I’m definitely going to take it personal. I said I’d be pissed off about it. And I am. I just felt disrespected. Because I play the game the right way, I play unselfishly, I play for my team to win games and I produce at a high level. I think what I bring to the game as a person, my makeup mentally, how I am toward my teammates, how I am toward the media, how I am toward fans; I think what an All-Star represents in this league, and what you would want people to look at as an All-Star, I think I make up all those things.”
The favorites for NBA MVP have to be Harden and Curry right now, and rightly so, as both players have been great so far this season. Lillard is not far behind though, and the second half of the season is his time to make his mark. Lillard is a big name player who plays with passion, and that passion mixed with the disappointment of not being selected for the All-Star game, will take him and Rip City up a notch. He should only get better as the season matures. Add in the fact that Portland is a winning team and NBA always rewards winning, and you can see the opportunity is right in front of Lillard.
Winning the MVP award would be the ultimate revenge for Damian Lillard’s all-star snub.
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