Ranking the top 50 NBA players of next season: Top 10

9. Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard was the MVP of the seeding games and with good reason. As his teams was finally healthy and making a desperate push for the final playoff spot Lillard put the team on his back and would not be denied. In those eight games he posted a mind-blowing line of 37.6 points and 9.6 assists. This capped off a hyper-effective statistical campaign for the guard.

His overall regular season line was an impressive 30.0 points (third in the league), 8.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He is a walking highlight real, pulling up from the spot on the court that earned him the nickname Logo Lillard. He is never afraid of the moment and suffers no fools when they try to discredit anything he has accomplished (ask Paul George and Patrick Beverley).

Lillard could be the dark horse MVP candidate this season. His team is finally healthy and made a number of win-now moves looking to capitalize on his prime. He has threatened to pull up from half court as part of the normal offense and defense actually have to be wary of him punishing them from there. As one of the few teams who looks capable of challenging the Los Angeles Lakers in this weird, mutated season it is indeed Dame Time.