Dec. 20 -- Damian Lillard plays with a savvy and wisdom well beyond his 23 years.
He played that way during his Rookie of the Year season for the Portland Trail Blazers and has actually gotten even better during his sophomore campaign, his wicked skill set combined withLaMarcus Aldridge's monster start to the season fueling a rise up the Western Conference standings that has stunned the league.
In a crowded point guard landscape, Lillard has distinguished himself as both a playmaker and scorer, not to mention a big-shot artist who is both willing and more than able of delivering daggers when games are on the line. Take the Blazers' recent four-game road trip as just an appetizer for what he's capable of and it's clear that he's moving towards the front of the class.
Lillard nailed game-winning shots against both Detroit and Cleveland, and finished the 3-1 journey averaging 27.8 points and 7.3 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 49 percent from beyond the 3-point line. And he did this with Aldridge, whom he joins on the KIA Race to the MVP Ladder this week, putting up monster numbers of his own during the trip.
Lillard scored 36 points on back-to-back nights to finish the trip, sick production from the point guard position, winning his head-to-head battle in each and every outing against the likes of Kyrie Irving, Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio. Philadelphia'sMichael Carter-Williams (skin infection) did not play in the trip opener.
"He's a nightmare because he can beat you in so many different ways," said Utah rookie point guard Trey Burke, who battled Lillard to a near statistical draw in a Dec. 9 loss to the Blazers. "He's physical, too. He works so hard on both ends and that brings out your best, if you're a competitor."
Lillard is certainly that. He already owns the Blazers' franchise scoring record for a point guard, he averaged 19.0 points a game as a rookie, besting Rod Strickland's 18.9 set in the 1994-95 season. But more importantly, he ranks second among point guards in scoring this season (21.3) behind Golden State's Stephen Curry(24.5).
Beloved in Portland for helping revive a proud franchise that has been starving for this sort of resurgence since injuries to top draft picks Greg Oden and Brandon Roy derailed previous revitalization plans, Lillard is winning on and off the court in the City of Roses.
His best work all week might have been done at a Toys "R" Us in Portland where he surprised 30 kids from the Trail Blazers Boys And Girls Club Thursday with $100 gift cards and a shopping spree.
"Because of what I've been able to do as a basketball player, it makes this stuff that much more valuable," Lillard told The Oregonian, calling it his highlight of the week. "It puts me in position to do things for the community and for the kids. Just to see how they reacted and the smiles on their faces, that means everything to me."
Lillard has savvy and wisdom beyond his years, on and off the court.
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