Making the case for Damian Lillard being All-NBA 1st Team

The NBA’s top players are narrowed down to the best performing 15 when All-NBA teams release in May. Will Damian Lillard be included?

Even with the shift to position-less basketball, the NBA still puts together its three All-NBA teams using the traditional five positions. This makes a first team selection much more difficult for Damian Lillard; competition amongst point guards is perhaps the most intense of all. His season résumé must outdo those of Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, John Wall, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and Russell Westbrook.

Fortunately for Dame, several of those elite guards battled injury and missed too many games for a first team consideration. Curry, Irving, and Wall all dealt with recurring leg injuries sidelining them for significant portions of the year.

But their absences aren’t the only reason Lillard should be first team All-NBA. His impressive scoring, improved defense and leadership have the Portland Trail Blazers third place in a competitive Western Conference.

Offense & Defense

Let’s look at where Damian Lillard ranks among league point guards for major categories. (Note: James Harden will not be counted as a point guard.)

• Points (26.7): 1st for PGs and 5th overall
• Assists (6.6): 7th for PGs and 10th overall
• Three-pointers (3.1): tied 2nd for PGs and 4th overall

While Dame isn’t generally cracking the top ten for defensive stats, he’s much improved on past seasons. First, his steal numbers are up from 0.9 to 1.1. Next, Lillard’s defensive win shares and defensive box plus/minus are his highest since the 2014-2015 season (and second best of his career). Finally, he’s part of a top-ten defense that was in the bottom five last season.

Leadership & Clutch Play

His ability to take over a game down the stretch is his best argument for first team All-NBA, though. We recently wrote about the Dame Time happening more frequently this season.

Related Story: Damian Lillard's frequent 4th quarter heroics

In the past, Portland often gave up fourth quarter leads, much to the chagrin of fans. With Lillard playing clutch basketball and combatting this trend, the Blazers are sitting safe in the West’s third seed.

Russell Westbrook is probably Dame’s main competition for the first team All-NBA point guard. With a strong supporting cast including Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, Westbrook has the Oklahoma City Thunder in fifth place and 3.5 games back on Portland. He might still average a triple-double on the season, but underwhelms in terms of expected success for OKC.

As far as Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul: neither are the first option on their respective teams. Both indispensably contribute to conference-leading teams but benefit off the success of a better teammate. Lowry and Paul could certainly make an All-NBA team, but not the first.

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So, based on elite offense, progressed defense and strong leadership, Damian Lillard should certainly be in consideration for first team All-NBA point guard, if not even the favorite. A Twitter poll from HoopsHype backs this:

A nearly guaranteed All-NBA finish this season will mark his third All-NBA award (2013-2014 3rd team and 2015-2016 2nd team). A strong finish to the season could solidify the first team spot for the recently named Western Conference Player of the Week.