It’s time we all started paying attention to Damian Lillard

The Real Deal.

There’s a new Agent Zero in town, and the only gun he owns is attached to his right shoulder (Too soon for Gilbert Arenas jokes?). That’s right, Damian Lillard, the unheralded rookie from Weber state who shot up the draft boards during predraft camps and workouts, has arrived. Through six games, he has averaged 18.8 points, 7 assists, and 1.3 steals while directing a vastly improved Portland team. He’s scintillating, he’s sensational, he’s the best thing since sliced bread.

 I bought a first class ticket to his bandwagon, and for good reason. Coming out of high school as a two star and unranked prospect according to rivals, he played four years at Weber state, and the hard work he put in during that time shows. He has a dazzling array of moves and shots that enable him to score efficiently at high volumes, skills honed in during his four year tenure in Ogden, Utah. He is mature and patient on the court even though he is so explosive. Like the great John Wooden preached, “Be quick, but not in a hurry”. He tore up the NBA summer leagues, routinely breaking 25 points and hasn’t slowed down too much since. In the modern world of the one-and-done, he is an anomaly who beat the system. There’s nothing not to love about the kid. Small school beginnings, he lives with his mom to stay out of trouble, he has great burst, vision, and a Derrick Rose knack for creating a shot.  He’s shooting a cool 37.5% from downtown, which is a solid number for a rookie point guard.

You just have to watch this guy play for a quarter and he definitely wins the eyeball test. Although the Trailblazers are currently, 2-4, nobody in the Nike state should be too panicked. They have had one of the toughest schedules of any team at this point in the season with road losses to the Thunder and Mavs, plus two more losses against the Clippers and Spurs. 3 of those teams are currently first in their divisions and the Mavs are above .500. The point is that you can’t look at his team’s record to determine if this kid can grow to eventually lead this team to the promise land known as the playoffs. And since most people aren’t up at midnight watching west coast games, just do as you would with Breaking Bad or that 30 for 30 you wanted to watch but you were out at dinner for, tivo that bitch.  It’s must see television.

-Ryan Parrish 
@Pastrami_On_Ry (Follow On Twitter)