NBA Playoffs: Revealing the All-Western Conference Team

NBA playoffs All-Western Conference Team: Damian Lillard

It’s hard to compare volume vs efficiency in every case, and that includes comparing players in the postseason. Damian Lillard was an elite player this postseason, scoring 34.3 points per game and averaging 10.2 dimes.  At the same time he appeared in just six games before his Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

When he played, though, he was incendiary, hitting shots from everywhere on the court no matter what defense the Denver Nuggets threw at him. For the series he hit 5.8 3-pointers per game, by far the most in the playoff field, shooting a scorching 44.9 percent despite his high volume.

The peak of that hot shooting was of course Game 5, with the series tied 2-2, when Lillard went into Denver’s home court and dropped 55 points on 12-of-17 shooting from outside. Every time his team needed a miracle he was there, hitting impossible rainbow shots.

Far from a shooter alone, Lillard was also setting up teammates throughout the series. He had double-digit assists in five of the six games, averaging 10.2 assists per game. As much as one point guard can will his team to victory, Lillard did everything he could.