A real attempt at making the All-Time Portland Trail Blazers team
By Minh Dao
Point Guard: Damian Lillard
Portland Tenure
- 2012-present
- 22-4-6 on 43-37-88
Peak PDX Season
2017: 41-41, eighth in the West, first round, 27-5-6 on 44-37-90
Accolades (during tenure)
- 2× NBA All-Star (2014, 2015)
- All-NBA second team (2016)
- All-NBA third team (2014)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (2013)
- NBA All-Rookie first team (2013)
I have previously written about our current point guard and how he is overlooked, but Damian Lillard comes in as the starting point guard for the All-Time team.
The dynamic scorer from Weber State has made quite the impression in his five seasons with the Blazers. He has just come off a career season in terms of efficiency and production and led the Blazers to back-to-back playoffs.
Many wondered if the Blazers were going to have to rebuild once LaMarcus Aldridge departed, but Lillard made sure he accelerated that timeline.
Dame is the natural leader that the Blazers have been starving for since Brandon Roy’s career was cut short.
Fans love him, the media loves him, and most importantly, his teammates look up to him. It also helps he’s an All-NBA player.
Lillard is able to score in a host of ways: off the bounce on a drive, a step-back, spot-up or off the “flow offense” cuts.
His adaptability on offense goes unnoticed, and although he doesn’t rack up the assists like John Stockton, he is still unselfish (11.7 potential assists a game).
He knows when to make the right pass and he’s able to identify mismatches.
Life would be made easier with an elite scorer like Drexler next to him, having two crafty bigs like Walton and Wallace, with Kersey who could guard the scoring PG’s for him.
Peak Lillard rounds out the starting unit as the No. 3 option on this team.