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Damian Lillard had a stellar 2020-21 season for the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 28.8 points and 7.5 assists in 67 regular-season appearances, boosting that to an incredible 34.3 and 10.2 in the playoffs, shooting 45% from the three-point arc besides! It was an all-time campaign for the Trail Blazers franchise, and now Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports is arguing that it makes Lillard worthy of a 2021 All-NBA 1st Team nomination.
Goodwill has Lillard alongside NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors on the first team. He put Lillard ahead of point guard Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, though he cited it as a tight race:
Lillard and Luka Doncic battled for that last spot, with Lillard carrying a load for a Portland team riddled with injuries. His efficiency (45-39-93) and Portland playing even with Dallas gave him the nod.
In the article, Goodwill also talks about All-NBA Defensive teams, the free agency of Warriors forward Kelly Oubre Jr., and more.