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Kenton Wong of ESPN Stats & Information pulled together a few advanced numbers on Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Damian Lillard.
The Trail Blazers average 102 points per 100 possessions with Lillard on the court as opposed to 97 per 100 possessions without him. Lillard has already established himself as one of the most valuable point guards in the league this season. In terms of the ‘Value Added' metric, Lillard is one of the top 10 most valuable point guards in the league this season. Value Added is the estimated number of points a player adds to a team's season total above what a 'replacement player' (for instance, the 12th man on the roster) would produce.
If Lillard continues this pace as an impressive scoring point guard, he'll quickly join the conversation as one of the top young floor generals in the league. Mike Conley is the only point guard averaging at least 15 points and five assists per game with a higher 3-point percentage this season than Lillard.
It's been a while since Portland has had a point guard like Lillard. The last time a Trail Blazer averaged 15 points and five assists while shooting 40 percent from 3-point land? Terry Porter in 1992-93.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter