Damian Lillard says Blazers making playoffs is 'biggest accomplishment' of career

Damian Lillard has been an a two-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year winner, and All-NBA second and third team member yet for the Blazers guard, leading Portland to the playoffs this season has been the “biggest accomplishment” of his career.

From CSNNW's Jason Quick:

“Biggest accomplishment of my career,’’ team captain Damian Lillard said. “Lot of fingers were pointed at me from the outside when we struggled, and people said a lot of things about me. I didn’t make excuses or cry about it. I said I would be better and I would man up – and I did just that.

“Now we stayed locked in and go try to shock the world,’’ Lillard said.

Considering all of the accolades Lillard has earned in his five-year career, making the playoffs this season seems to pale in comparison. Plus the Blazers have made the playoffs the last four seasons and were expected to be in the postseason this year. But considering the season Portland has had, Lillard's sentiments make complete sense.

Portland struggled mightily in the first part of the season and looked destined to be missing out on the playoffs. Their defense was atrocious and despite Lillard's efforts (he has been phenomenal all season), the Blazers remained inconsistent. But that all changed when Portland acquired Jusuf Nurkic a few days before the February trade deadline.

Nurkic instantly gave the Blazers a presence in the middle, which they hadn't had before, and he complimented Lillard and CJ McCollum perfectly. Led by Nurkic, Lillard, and McCollum, Portland was re-energized and went 13-3 in March. Lillard was sensational during this stretch, averaging 30 points and taking over games single handedly. The Blazers were surging and in no time caught up with the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final seed in the West. Portland also beat Denver to win the tiebreaker and thanks to the Nuggets' loss on Sunday, the Blazers will now face the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

With all of this in mind, it is easy to understand why Lillard calls making the playoffs this season, the biggest accomplishment of his career. As the team's leader, Lillard shouldered most of the blame for Portland's struggles but thanks in large part to his leadership and strong play, the Blazers are heading to the playoffs. It may seem like a simple achievement but clearly for Lillard and the Blazers, it is quite meaningful.