Why Damian Lillard should have made the All-Star team

A full year of greatness

Damian Lillard apparently was not thrilled with missing the All-Star Game last year and went on a scoring tear, averaging 26.3 points per game and increasing his shooting and 3-point shooting percentages.

Lillard has kept that production and carried it over to this year.

If the All-Star selection is supposed to be a reward for the season so far or for the year since the last All-Star Game, few players have scored as much or played as well as Lillard.

After finishing the year on that scoring tear, he has continued it this year averaging 26.2 points per game. He has not missed a beat at all this year.

That has to be worth something in the mind of All-Star voters, right? Moreso than throwing in a specialist for an injury-riddled team or the fourth player from an admittedly all-time great team.

This year, Lillard is eighth in the league in scoring. He is the highest player on that list that did not make the All-Star team. The next player on that list not to make the All-Star team was his teammate C.J. McCollum at No. 15. The next one after him is Carmelo Anthony at No. 18.

Scoring is not everything, but Lillard is essentially among All Stars in terms of his scoring. Yet he was overlooked.

Among the Offensive Win Shares leader, only Chris Paul has more Offensive Win Shares without making the All-Star team than Lillard.

All the offensive metrics suggest Lillard is an All-Star. His defense still needs improvement, but Lillard can take over games and play at that elite level.