We made out pretty well with Jenkins. It's a little disappointing because we could have had a shot at one of the other top rookies had our previous GM been a little more proactive. But, I digress.
6. Damian Lillard, Blazers: A
19.1 PPG, 6.5 APG, 3.2 RPG in 70 games
The surefire Rookie of the Year has made the most of an incredibly advantageous situation. He entered the NBA with a no-nonsense attitude and tons of experience running the pick-and-roll, and he landed in Portland, where a first-year coach (Terry Stotts) was more than willing to give him the keys. Lillard has appeared in all 70 games and logged 2,703 minutes (38.6 per game), more than 900 more than any other 2012 draft pick. The Blazers have posted an above-average offense with Lillard at the helm and they’ve hung around the outskirts of the Western Conference playoff chase longer than just about everyone, including team management, expected.
There are areas for potential improvement. Lillard is a tad jumper-happy, launching more than six threes per game. Like a number of big-time point guards before him, he’ll need to ramp up his ability to get to the free-throw line as he ages. He’s far more accomplished on the offensive end than the defensive end. Lillard will turn 23 in July, making him one of the oldest players in this class. That’s raised questions about his ceiling, given that he’s older than Irving and Wall, and nearly as old as fourth-year point guard Jrue Holiday of Philadelphia. Optimists see him as a certain All-Star, while pessimists are more likely to peg him as a solid starter.
