Damian Lillard Makes His MVP Case: 'I'm One Of The Best Players In The League'

Damian Lillard believes he should be toward the front of the MVP race, but not because of his outstanding numbers or late-game heroics as much as his overall impact on the Trail Blazers.

Jack Winter

Damian Lillard Makes His MVP Case: 'I'm One Of The Best Players In The League'
Damian Lillard Makes His MVP Case: 'I'm One Of The Best Players In The League' /

Even casuals, naysayers and East Coasters learned last season what Trail Blazers fans have have known for years: Damian Lillard isn't just a superstar, but a top-10 player in the NBA – at the very least.

Lillard's incendiary six-game run during January and February – when he averaged 48.8 points – and herculean efforts in the Orlando bubble to push Portland to the playoffs are among the most impressive stretches of his career. But even though his current numbers stand a notch below those record-breaking past ones, Lillard believes his impact on the Blazers in 2020-21 is greater than ever.

After he led Portland to a hard-fought win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night with 34 points and 11 assists, Lillard was asked about his burgeoning MVP case.

"I see myself as the top of the league," he said. "I'm one of the best players in this league."

Finally, no one sane is arguing otherwise. Cue ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Lillard is averaging 29.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He's among the several most efficient high-usage playmakers in basketball, and the Blazers' offense is 15.5 points better with him on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass, the league's third-highest discrepancy. Lillard's flair for the moment in crunch time, further burnished by his go-ahead, pull-up triple in Dallas, is reaching all-time status reserved for the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

His MVP resume is obvious by the numbers, eye test and earned reputation alone. But Lillard's candidacy this season, he says, goes deeper. 

Before quipping about his rightful place alongside LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and more as one of basketball's best players, he stressed the cultural import of allowing space for his teammates to thrive while Portland manages the absences of C.J. McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins.

"Obviously without C.J. I'm gonna have more responsibility, without Nurk I'm gonna have more responsibility, more communication," Lillard said. "Just recognizing moments and trying to lead our team to win games still, even if that's putting [Gary Trent Jr.] in a position to be successful, or taking a backseat to 'Melo. Just a lot of things that you gotta be aware of and take action when you recognize it. That can impact your team winning, and I think I've been on top of that." 

Team culture matters most during times of strife. The Blazers could have folded sans three starters, with Lillard setting a tone of team-wide disappointment and frustration. He's gone out of his way to empower teammates instead, while simultaneously shouldering one of basketball's heaviest offensive loads and maintaining his sterling efficiency. 

There are countless reasons why Portland has weathered the injury storm to sit at 16-10: Trent's continued evolution, 'Melo's throwback scoring outbursts, Enes Kanter's dominance on the offensive glass and Anfernee Simons' ongoing emergence among them. But it's Lillard's sweeping impact as both team leader and offensive hub that looms largest, and has him rightfully crashing the MVP conversation.

READ MORE: Trail Blazers Stave Off Comeback For Hard-Earned Win Over Mavs

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Jack Winter
JACK WINTER

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