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Damian Lillard wins Franchise Record 14th Player of the Week award

By Sammy Downey

Oct 23, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots a three-pointer against Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV (4) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots a three-pointer against Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV (4) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Anfernee Simons was instrumental against the Kings. Jerami Grant hit the huge go-ahead late bucket against the Lakers. Jusuf Nurkic dominated Deandre Ayton against the Suns in a gutsy overtime win Friday Night. None of this matters for the Portland Trail Blazers without one man’s monster week: Damian Lillard.

Lillard didn’t shoot well on opening night, going just 5-18 from the field and 1-8 from deep for 20 points. It was fair to assume he needed to get his legs back after playing only 3 games last year. Little did we know he would only need one game to warm up.

Dame responded by dropping 41 in back-to-back two-point victories shooting 27-50 from the field in the wins against the Lakers and Suns. He made countless plays down the stretch on Sunday, and with a little help from Westbrooks’s inexplicable pull-up jump shot late in the game, he nailed a step back three with 12 seconds left to go up 2 to seal player of the week honors and push the Blazers to their first 3-0 start since the 2011-2012 season.

The scary part? He doesn’t quite feel like the “Dame” we all know yet. Sure, when a bucket is needed late in the game there is no one more dangerous and feared in the game than the Blazers’ No. 0. But it seems like he is missing a little burst when going to the basket which is completely understandable considering the amount of real NBA basketball he has missed in the last year and a half.

Through the 3 games, he averaged 34.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. The Trailblazers will continue Monday night against the back-to-back MVP, Nikola Jokic, and the Nuggets. The tough early schedule continues with Portland playing the Heat and the Suns a combined 4 times over the next two weeks.

The Blazers’ great point guard put the NBA on notice over the weekend and let everyone know that “Dame Time” has officially arrived.