A seat at the MVP table
Dame is making a case for your MVP vote, NBA MVP voter
Due to a mix of tequila, general fatigue of being inside, and worried about loved ones without power for the past few days, I wasn’t exactly the most alert during the 4th quarter of last night’s game as the Blazers saw their massive lead go to a deficit of five in the final four minutes of the game. But even for me, being a lazy load on the couch, Damian Lillard won’t let me miss the moment just like he won’t let the Blazers miss a chance to be in the top half of the Western Conference standings, or let himself miss a chance for an MVP award.
When Dame put Lu Dort’s beefy frame into the blender, rendering him liquid while almost every other player in the league can’t shake him, it jolted me to scream ‘HOLY SHIT’ and jump off the couch in jubilation. Of course, Dame’s big shots are what we are all here to see and the things that get us going, but having the Blazers here has been another chapter in Dame’s leadership handbook.
Anfernee Simons, a player whom I am guilty of no longer wanting to see on the floor, looks as comfortable as he’s ever been. His jumper is going and more importantly, he looks like he knows what he wants to do with the ball and is no longer second-guessing himself.
Nassir Little, who dealt with COVID after an unfortunate series of events in the bubble, looks automatic off a flare screen and brings athleticism the Blazers have long had only in limited supply.
Carmelo Anthony, who started the season terribly and was the target of #CUTMELO content from Blazers blogs, is putting together another great Blazers run while rising up the NBA’s All-Time Scoring list. The confidence Lillard and the Blazers have given him to be himself is finally paying off as the Blazers have won five straight. Anthony has scored in double-figures in eight straight games, a stretch during which the Blazers are 7-1.
Robert Covington looks like a completely different offensive player, Gary Trent Jr. looks like a starting-caliber player.
All of this is happening without CJ McCollum, who would be on his way to his first All-Star Game (nevermind how dumb it is to have an All-Star Game), as well as Jusuf Nurkic. It’s happening while fans on Twitter became increasingly louder about pushing Terry Stotts out, the coach that Lillard has hitched his wagon to.
It’s evident to anybody watching closely that this doesn’t happen without the spark of Lillard that burns every day with the same fury. That his belief in his teammates, despite the doubts, the aggressive hashtags, and the injuries, has the Blazers at 4th place in the Western Conference nearly 40 percent of the way through the season.
With Nikola Jokic of Denver and Joel Embiid both getting far more MVP buzz, despite Denver having a worse record and Philly having a half-game ahead of the Blazers, it’s past time for potential MVP voters to consider Dame’s place at the table next to LeBron James as the league MVP.
While Dame and the Blazers have been winning without their stars, the Lakers and LeBron will face a stretch without Davis that could similarly define his MVP candidacy. If the Lakers slip in the time without Davis and the Blazers keep winning, Dame’s MVP case should go from darkhorse to the frontrunner. And I say that as someone who bet LeBron +825 for MVP and stands to get paid. Dame is making this a real debate.