Damian Lillard Fantasy News and Statistics

Despite his All-NBA talent, Damian Lillard is still something of an anomaly in today’s game. He wasn’t a five-star prospect who had name recognition while still in high school. He also wasn’t a one-and-done who only needed 30 games in college to showcase his abilities. Lillard came from a mid-major school and was the rare four-year college player who became an NBA star. He put Weber State on the map and became a fan favorite the moment the Portland Trail Blazers drafted him sixth overall in 2012.

Prior to Lillard being drafted, only eight other Weber State Wildcats had even made it to the NBA. He was unanimously considered the top point guard in the draft, and that’s proven to be true as none of the other five at the position taken in 2012 are still in the NBA. When he made the Northwest trek from Weber State’s Utah campus to Portland, the Trail Blazers were firmly in the palms of LaMarcus Aldridge. Lillard had no problem playing second fiddle, and he proved that by becoming the fourth unanimous winner of the Rookie of the Year award in the 2012-13 season.

Lillard’s second year in the league would be his true breakout season, as he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He was also cognizant that the casual NBA fan may not be aware of the talent that lies in the Great Northwest, so he decided to participate in all five events during All-Star weekend in order to raise his profile. But the crowning jewel of Lillard’s season came in the playoffs when he sent the Houston Rockets home with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, which advanced Portland to the second round.

Despite his relatively slight frame, Lillard proved to be an iron man in his third season, suiting up in all 82 games for the third year in a row. He became the first player in NBA history to start all 246 games possible during a player’s first three seasons. With Aldridge departing after the 2014-15 season, Lillard became Portland’s franchise player, and the organization rewarded him with a $120 million contract. With the offense now centered around him, Lillard showed that he could be more than just a supporting actor, as he posted career-highs of 25.1 points and 6.8 assists per game. Along with backcourt mate C.J. McCollum, the Blazers upset the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the eventual Western Conference Champion Warriors in the second round.

Lillard began to cross over into mainstream media in 2016 when he released his debut rap album under the moniker of Dame D.O.L.L.A. Just a few weeks after the release, he reminded everyone that he hadn’t forgot about his day job, as he joined an exclusive club that’s only reserved for legends. Lillard became the third player in the last 30 years to rack up 8,000 points and 2,000 assists through his first five seasons. The others are two of the names on the Mount Rushmore of NBA players: Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Just when you think Lillard has reached his ceiling as a player, he finds a new wrinkle to add to his game. He has increased his scoring average in every season, and last year’s 27.0 points per game ranked sixth in the league. He’s in his prime at 27 years old and is fortunate enough to have an offense that caters to him. While his team may have hit its ceiling in terms of advancing in the playoffs, Lillard surely has not, and there is no limit to how good he can become.