This week's 10 Things features a Hall of Fame guard having a career year, some postseason X factors, a weakness within the Los Angeles Lakers, and a new roller-coaster opening in Orlando.
1. Damian Lillard, drawing entire defenses
Lillard is on the scoring run of his life for a Portland Trail Blazers team that isn't healthy, stable, or good enough to turn those binges of points into wins. Portland is 5-9 in its past 14 games, and has fallen into a tie for 12th.
Lillard is averaging a career-best 32.3 points -- trailing only Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic. The threat of his pull-up 3 extends defenses toward their breaking points, opening up for drives for Lillard.
Lillard is seizing on those chances with head-down fury. He's averaging a career-high 22 drives per 100 possessions, and regularly dusting both defenders -- his own, and the guy on his screener -- at the point of attack. Roast that layer, and third and fourth defenders swarm Lillard to prevent dunks. Over and over, Lillard is knifing into the lane and drawing damn near entire teams -- creating open looks everywhere:
