5. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Counting Stats: 25.1 points, 6.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds
PER: 22.25
WS: 9.2
VORP: 3.8
Lillard sent out a statement last season by putting up the second-best PPG average, in addition to the sixth-most double-doubles (15) among qualified point guards. He did this on a team in Portland, that lost four of its five starters last summer, and was expected to take on a multi-year rebuild.
To the dismay of many around the league, Lillard defied the odds and led the Trail Blazers to an unpredictable 44-38 record, good enough for fifth-best in the Western Conference. In the process, it saw shooting guard C.J. McCollum mature into a dynamic force alongside Lillard in the backcourt, forming a tandem that’s widely regarded as the best in the NBA behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The duo averaged a combined 47 points, 9.6 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game.
Over time, the former Weber State product has progressed into one of the game’s most durable and fearless point guards. According to Hollinger, Lillard possessed the third-highest usage rate (31.2) among starting point guards in 2016 and displayed a 56 percent true shooting percentage, better than the likes of Kemba Walker, Eric Bledsoe and Kyrie Irving.
Portland made great strides this off season, by retaining Allen Crabbe and inking deals with Festus Ezeli and Evan Turner. For a team that quickly got past its slight rebuild (if you want to call it that), they’re in solid shape to make a push in hosting a playoff series, something that’s not possible of happening without 26-year-old Lillard.
Next: No. 4