Damian Lillard has crashed the NBA MVP race.
More than a month ago, when CJ McCollum suffered a foot fracture, it was not unfair to believe that the Portland Trail Blazers were going to fall down the standings in the Western Conference. However, during his absence, the Blazers have done the opposite.
During his absence, the Blazers are 9-4 and are now tied for fourth in the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns at 18-10. Expectedly, Damian Lillard has taken his play to the next level to help power the Blazers.
Over the last 13 games, Lillard is averaging 32 points, seven assists, and four rebounds per game on 46 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range. With the way the team has performed, you can’t help but consider Damian Lillard in the race for NBA MVP.
More from Sir Charles In Charge
- Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
- NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
- Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
- Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?
- NBA Power Rankings: Tiering all 30 projected starting point guards for 2023-24
The team has won six games in a row and seven of their last eight. They’re 8-2 in the month of February and have made a real move up the standings in the West. During the month, the Blazers have the third-best offensive rating and the seventh-best net rating in the league.
Lillard has continued to play at a high level and has helped elevate the overall team’s play as a unit without one of the better supporting guards in the league. I don’t think that’s easy to do in such a deep conference.
Those are characteristics of an MVP candidate.
A few days ago, it was announced that McCollum would miss another two weeks as he continues to recover. Portland needs to hold on a little longer before reinforcements are back. So far, they’ve passed the test.
Question is, how far can this team go with a fully healthy roster heading into the playoffs? Could they emerge as a threat to make a deep run in the playoff as they did a few years ago? On the season, Lillard is the third-leading scorer in the league and continues to prove the doubters wrong.
With Damian Lillard playing at an MVP-level, you can’t put anything past this Portland Trail Blazers team. Especially with the depth that they’ve showcased this season.