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Portland Trail Blazers: Ranking the top five point guards in the NBA

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 16: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on October 16, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 16: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on October 16, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
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Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers
(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Number two – Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Blazers fans obviously know Dame and his credentials, but he doesn’t always get the credit from the national media that he deserves. It was only three years ago that he missed out on the All-Star team even though he averaged a whopping 27 points a game with 5.9 assists on career high efficiency.

The last two seasons, Dame has been All-NBA second and first team, while obviously having a massive postseason in 2018/19 with 27 points a game on 57 percent true shooting as the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals.

The shot over Paul George to send the Thunder into a tailspin is clearly a massive moment, but Dame’s consistency has been one of the main reasons he now finds himself in the upper echelons of point guards in the league.

He has averaged 25 points and 5 assists on better than 36 percent from three for five straight years now, the only qualified player to achieve this mark.

Though the Blazers as a team haven’t had the success that fans would have liked this year, Dame has again elevated his game. He has career highs from two point range, three point range, in scoring efficiency and in EFG and TS percentage.

When he has played this year, they are close to .500 at 27 – 31. Pretty exceptional considering his team has been missing their starting three, four and five for almost the entire season.

With eight regular season games now confirmed when the NBA season resumes, Dame can show the national media and other teams fan bases why he is deserving of a first team All-NBA nod this season. His legendary run in at the start of 2020 is proof that he now belongs in the conversation with the other superstars in this league.