Damian Lillard – Clutch Player of the Year
Last season saw the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox be named the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year. The award goes to the player who, as you guessed, comes through for his teammates in the clutch moments of games.
Damian Lillard is one of the league’s most clutch players, and now being added to such a strong contender, he is likely to be taking those shots in the big moments. We all remember the shot to send the OKC Thunder home over one of the league’s best defenders in Paul George, and I know I am not the only one who can’t wait for him to be hitting those kinds of shots.
In recent seasons, one of the biggest question marks around the Bucks has been who they go to in the clutch. Middleton, with his ability to create his own shot, has been the main go-to guy on the roster, but his health has then left that void for someone else to fill. Having Lillard hit those bombs from deep and give another option in the dying moments is a huge plus for Milwaukee.
It is another award available to players to win and add to their mantelpiece. Lillard is likely to be one of the front runners. He only featured in 58 games for Portland last season and just 29 the season prior, but he played no less than 66 before these recent seasons.
We all know what Lillard can bring to the Bucks, and if he shows that and hits those shots in the big moments that the Bucks wouldn’t have hit last season, then Lillard is definitely going to be right up there for claiming the second Clutch Player of the Year Award.