Lillard bounces back against Miami to show what he’s made of.
Following his 33-point game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard gave another demonstration as to why he should be the NBA Rookie of the Year.
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With LeBron James rightly taking the limelight after another record-breaking display, Lillard went about his business quietly but effectively at the AA Arena and put on another fine performance.
What made his sharp-shooting game even more remarkable, was that it came off the back of the worst shooting night of his career at Orlando on Sunday, making just 1-of-16 shots.
Lillard, 22, has largely added consistency to his game this month, showcasing his immense dribbling and three-point shooting talents while also showing he has the explosiveness to get to the basket on a regular basis for the Trail Blazers.
He will undoubtedly be aided in the race for the Rookie award after the unfortunate injury suffered by the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond, with New Orleans Hornets star Anthony Davis set to be his closest competition.
Big things were expected from the start, after his debut against the Los Angeles Lakers last year saw him post up 23 points to go along with 11 assists, becoming just the third NBA player to seal at least 20 points and 10 assists on their debut.
There is of course a long way to go this season, and things could change very quickly. But given his desire to become better and with a performance such as that against one of the best defences in the league in Miami, Lillard appears to be a certainty for the Rookie of the Year award.
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