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Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard should be considered an NBA MVP candidate

By Codi Benner

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 22: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers brings the ball down the court against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 22: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers brings the ball down the court against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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Carrying the Portland Trail Blazers to a top 3 seed in the Western Conference, it’s time for Damian Lillard to get some NBA MVP consideration

First off, James Harden will most likely win the NBA MVP this season, and you may even consider Anthony Davis since he’s carried the New Orleans Pelicans since DeMarcus Cousins got injured.

One name, however, that is not being thrown around the MVP conversation is Damian Lillard. This year he has been one of the 10 best players in the league, and he deserved to be one of the top votes for MVP.

The way that Lillard ascended the Portland Trail Blazers to one of the top 3 teams in the Western Conference may have earned him an MVP if it wasn’t for James Harden and Anthony Davis having incredible seasons.

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Lillard is the total package of an offensive player. He is an excellent 3-point shooter, which makes the defense have to worry about him the moment he moves past the half court line since he makes over three 3-pointers a game. He also attempts over seven free throws in a game, which means he is constantly charging towards the basket.

His combination of craftiness and athleticism usually embarrasses defenders.  He’s had a few huge games this year; he has one 50-point game, two 40-point games and over 20 30-point games.

The Blazers need him to pull off these types of numbers for them to be successful. If we look at the team around him, there is not a whole lot of talent around him besides C.J. McCollum. There is no one else on this team that can support Lillard regarding carrying an offense.

When Damian Lillard is in the game, they have been a top ten offense. When Lillard is not in the game, the team has been playing like a bottom tier team on offense. C.J. McCollum is a very good player but the team cant score on a regular basis without Lillard on the floor.

There just aren’t any gifted offensive players on this team. Players like Moe Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu have had their moments, but they just aren’t enough. So, it is quite an accomplishment to carry an entire offense without a great supporting cast.

Damian Lillard has been able to use his passing ability to help out his undertalented supporting cast.  His box score numbers don’t jump out since he averages 6.5 assists per game, but he is extremely efficient with a turnover percentage of 12 percent. Also, his presence on the court usually leaves other players open since they are terrified to leave him open.

With players with above 30 percent usage rate, only a few players have lower turnover percentage than Lillard, and they are LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Dennis Schroder. They are the only players that have a lower turnover percentage. If he puts up six assists a game, he will be very efficient at making plays for other players

Now when comes to his fourth quarter performances they have been very stellar recently. Like the big performance against Lakers where he put up a bunch of difficult 3-pointers in the final minutes of the game. These weren’t your typical 3-pointers, they stepped back 3’s and some near the Lakers halfcourt logo.

Lillard put the entire team on his back and decided just to jack up shots and teardown the Lakers. Since the new year, Lillard has been averaging seven points a game in the fourth quarter, and his net rating is +8 in the fourth quarter. When he is in the game, they are eight points better than the other team which is staggering.  Whichever team has to defend him in the playoffs are going to have their hands full in the fourth quarter quarter.

Must Read: NBA: 5 first round playoff series that we need to see in 2018

Damian Lillard is a special talent this year. With his current box score and advanced numbers that he produces on an undertalented team is second to none. Damian Lillard most likely won’t win the NBA MVP award this year, but he is deserving of consideration.

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