2. Damian Lillard
It’s time to take about Damian Lillard. Until last year, I would have Lillard on the edge of missing this list. The four-time All-Star is undoubtedly talented, but constant failures in the postseason held him back.
That was, of course, before he dismantled an entire franchise in one series. Facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Lillard was on a mission to get over the hump.
Taking each moment personally, Lillard torched Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Showing absolutely no fear, Lillard drilled the dagger 3-pointer over Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Paul George. This buzzer-beater not only gave Dame his 50th point but ended the series, sending OKC home to blow up their team in the offseason.
By the end of the series, Lillard had posted averages of 33.0 points, 6.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game on 48.1 percent shooting from the 3-point line. He continued to knock off the second-seeded Denver Nuggets in the next round but fell short to the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals.
His domination of Westbrook and the Thunder was enough to bump him up the list. For now, only one point guard stands above Lillard.