Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard snubbed for All-NBA 1st team

The All-NBA teams were announced this week, with Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard snubbed from the first team. Fans and media considered it a snub because Stephen Curry surprisingly made the first team, and then Luka Doncic made the cut.

Strangely, Kawhi Leonard also made the first-team even though he had fewer first-place votes and fewer total points than Dame, but this is because of how the positions are voted for.

Let’s break it down on these three candidates.

Damian Lillard

28.8 points / 7.5 assists on 62 percent true shooting

4th in clutch makes, 1st in efficiency

42 teams wins, sixth seed

Steph Curry

32 points / 5.8 assists on 65 percent true shooting

12th in clutch makes, 3rd in efficiency

39 teams wins, ninth seed

Luka Doncic

27.7 points / 8.6 assists on 58 percent true shooting

15th in clutch makes, 7th in efficiency

42 wins, fifth seed.

The main thing that sticks out here is that Curry had an amazing season, but he didn’t make the playoffs. Luka and Dame also had great seasons. They finished on the same amount of wins, but Dame was more efficient and was better in the clutch while experiencing significant injuries to the second and third-best players on the team.

When you consider the voting discrepancy with Kawhi and the fact that Curry didn’t make the playoffs, it may show the NBA needs to look at the overall criteria and voting. It’s not that Dame missed out; it’s that other players made the first team who were less deserving.

Dame can still hold his head high after now being the outright leader for All-NBA selections in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform, passing the great Clyde Drexler, who had five. Dame is truly cementing his position as the greatest Blazer of all time.