Thorpe: Blazers G Damian Lillard Is November's Top Rookie

David Thorpe of ESPN.com ranks Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Damian Lillard as the top rookie of November.

He's been the best rookie who has played full time since Day 1.
...
Through 14 games, Lillard also has made 53 percent of his shots from 16-23 feet, making him one of the top midrange shooters this season. For comparison's sake, look at what some other point guards who were top-five draft picks did from that distance in their rookie seasons:

Derrick Rose made 43 percent, Russell Westbrook 38 percent, Tyreke Evans 32 percent and John Wall 30 percent. And, for good measure, here's what Portland's last All-Star guard, Brandon Roy, shot from this range in his best season, 2008-09: 43 percent.

Lillard is proving to be a very good drive-and-finish guy and an excellent mid- to long-range shooter. A bad game here and there is only par for the course, not something to be alarmed about.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter