Portland Trail Blazers: 5 goals for Damian Lillard in 2017-18

5. Keep scoring, but continue to create for others

Damian Lillard is a dynamic scorer, capable of hitting shots from anywhere on the floor. So much so, it can be easy to forget his passing ability.

Lillard’s scoring average has increased each season, going from 19.0 points per game his rookie year to 27.0 last year. However, his assists per game average have held steady: about six or seven per game each season. Lillard averages 6.2 assists per game for his career, tying him with Andre Miller for fifth-most in Blazers history.

Lillard finished 2015-16 with 6.8 assists per game, eighth-most in the NBA. That number dropped to 5.9 per game in 2016-17, second-fewest of his career. In 2017-18, he should make sure that average doesn’t dip much further.

Lillard’s ability to keep his defenders guessing is an important part of his game. Fewer assists from such a high-scoring, high-usage point guard indicates a more stagnant, predictable offense. With offensive options like C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, it shouldn’t be necessary to hold the ball too long.

Damian Lillard is at his best when he’s creating for others in addition to scoring in bunches. For this reason, he should work to continue doling out assists at or above his career average.