Lillard Holds His Ground in Field of MVP Hopefuls

The Trail Blazers have suffered four losses in five games, but star guard Damian Lillard has maintained his place in the field of MVP hopefuls in the aftermath of that skid. Earlier this week, HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina delivered an updated look at the field of top-level players. Inside that list, Lillard finished at the No. 7 spot.

In his analysis of Lillard’s MVP chances, Urbina pointed to the Blazers’ recent losing streak.

It’s been a bit of a slog recently for the Portland Trail Blazers, losing four of their last five games, but it’s impossible to blame Damian Lillard for that. Rather, the plethora of injuries affecting the club at the moment have been too much to overcome.

Portland only had two games last week, but Lillard was excellent in them, averaging 29.0 points and 8.5 assists in the two contests, which the Blazers split to go 1-1.

Through 32 outings this season, Lillard has produced averages of 29.6 points and 8.1 assists per game. As a reserve, Lillard is set to participate in the main event of this weekend’s All-Star Game showcase.

Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo topped the latest rankings. You can check out the full list from Urbina at HoopsHype.