9. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard may not have made this list if not for his post-All-Star snub eruption. Lillard has been red hot since then, and his quality play is propelling the Trail Blazers to a playoff berth in what was expected to be a rebuilding year in Portland.
| Season | GS | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 58 | 36.1 | 20.2 | .431 | 8.4 | .375 | .509 | 6.3 | .879 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 26.1 |
| Career | 304 | 36.6 | 16.9 | .430 | 7.0 | .369 | .506 | 5.0 | .865 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 21.3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/9/2016.
Lillard’s offensive numbers have been terrific this season. Dropping 26 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field and 37.5 from three-point range isn’t easy, but Dame makes it look that way.
Lillard is also dishing nearly seven assists and snagging over four rebounds per game, which are impressive enough numbers without the dynamo scoring.
Defense used to be like garlic to Dame’s Dracula, but lately he has been making strides in that area. He’ll never be Patrick Beverley on that end, but Lillard just needs to be decent there if he can continue to play so well on the other end of the floor.
Like George, Damian Lillard has been huge in his team’s playoff push. That matters for this list. Just one of the ten players included is on a team that looks likely to miss the postseason.
Next: Number Eight