Rob Mahoney and Ben Golliver both have Damian Lillard as the 24th best NBA player coming into the 2016 NBA season. Haven fallen two spots from last year because of his defensive weaknesses; Lillard now faces a heavy task at hand.
The Portland Trail Blazers have recently gone through a dramatic roster change throughout the summer. Familiar names in Arron Afflalo, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, and Wesley Matthews are no longer with the team.
Aldridge has joined forces with the Spurs, Batum with the Hornets, Matthews in Dallas, while Lopez and Afflalo are in New York City. Although the Blazers have tried their best to fill in the gaps by bringing in Aminu, Plumlee, Davis and Henderson, their roster is considerably much weaker than year’s past.
Much of the pressure will be on Lillard to perform at an even higher level than before. He needs to step up to the plate and lead this team as they build on their chemistry. In a tough Western Conference, Lillard and the Blazers have their work cut out for themselves.
Lillard was only one of 5 players last NBA season to score 21 points, grab 4 rebounds and dish out 6 assists. He shares this statistic with a very impressive list of players including Harden, James, Curry and Westbrook.
It is yet to be seen whether Lillard can become the leader that this team needs. He must improve on his statistics especially on the defensive end. However, if one thing is for sure, Lillard has been consistent with his health and playing time. Barring any setbacks or freak injuries, look for Lillard to have a monster season this year..
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