The 2021 NBA All-Star game proposed by the NBA is just a few weeks away and it looks like Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is about to claim a spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference squad. Staying on Lillard’s path to an initial nod: the Mavericks Luka Doncic phenomenon.
On Monday, after the Blazers’ victory over the Mavericks, two voting projections highlighted how fierce the dispute between Lillard and Doncic is.
First, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer gave Doncic the advantage over Lillard. O’Connor went on to explain that it was not an easy decision.
The only difficult choice is the second starting guard. It’s a heads up between Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard. In fact, I had Lillard marked as my initiator when recording an episode of The Mismatch with Chris Vernon and Zach Lowe last Friday. But after diving deep this weekend, I’m giving Luka the advantage. Doncic and Lillard’s goals are essentially a failure, but Luka has been a more magnificent playmaker and a more impactful defender and rebound. Both were incredible and their teams would be lost without them. Lillard is a spare lock.
Sports Illustrated’s Michael Pina leaned in the opposite direction, giving Lillard the initial spot on Doncic.
In trying to deal with serious injuries for his second and third best players, Lillard has resumed his longstanding position as a North Portland star. Statistically, there has been no drop in their game from last year to now, while Blazers now have a higher winning percentage than Nuggets and Nets. He is still arguably the deadliest pick-and-roll scorer in the game and second only to Curry in the most-least offensive real.
Trail Blazers currently have a record of 16-10, putting them a little ahead of the Mavericks (13-15). Individually, Lillard has averaged 29.2 points and 7.3 assists per game this season. Doncic, in 27 games, has an average of 29.1 points and 9.4 assists per game.