Why Damian Lillard should have made the All-Star team

Damian Lillard is one of the Western Conference’s best young guards. He also was left off the All-Star team, again.

Last year, Damian Lillard failed to make his third All-Star team despite averaging 24.3 points per game and 7.3 assists per game and putting the Portland Trail Blazers squarely in the playoff hunt. All this, after losing franchise player LaMarcus Aldridge to free agency.

It was a slight in the biggest way to a player who has spent most of his career overlooked. And he took his vengeance out on the league, averaging 26.3 points per game and leading the Blazers to the fifth seed in the stacked Western Conference.

By all accounts, Lillard should have been an All-Star last year. And, by all accounts, Lillard has a great case for feeling snubbed once again this year.

Lillard again was left off the Western Conference All-Star team with reserves announced Thursday night. This will be the second straight year without him.

And while his Blazers are just outside the Playoff picture, hurting his chances, it is hard to argue Lillard does not deserve a spot on the Western Conference All-Star team. He is averaging 26.2 points per game and shooting a much more efficient  44.4 percent from the floor, good for such a high-volume scorer and his effective field goal percentage is better than 50 percent.

Lillard has continued to grow into a larger leadership role. And the Blazers still have a long way to go.

But his omission from the team is glaring. Lillard is the kind of player that would thrive in this All-Star environment and provide a good entertainment value. But that is not the only reason he should be playing in New Orleans in mid-February.

Lillard deserves to go for a number of reasons. And he remains the biggest snub for the All-Star Game.