Damian Lillard is enjoying the prime years of his career and pulling out all the fireworks for the NBA to witness. He's averaging career-highs in points (28.3), assists, (7.6) and field goal percentage (45%), yet none of those things have been the conduit for winning basketball.

At 19-27, the Portland Trail Blazers, who made their way to the Western Conference Finals last season, have fallen flat since being swept out of the series by the Golden State Warriors in the last year of their dynasty.

Only earlier this week, Lillard required a career-high 61-point effort to put away a ghost of those Warriors in overtime, ones with no Kevin Durant, no Stephen Curry, no Klay Thompson, and even sans Draymond Green.

Fast forward to last night's 133-125 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and it was Lillard and his 47 points pulling a team back that had just stopped fighting against a better, healthier opponent.

The Blazers have been riddled with injuries, still without Jusuf Nurkic, no Zach Collins, and recently missing CJ McCollum in the last three games due to a left ankle sprain.

Yet one can't help but think that Lillard's best years are going to the wayside without some hardware to immortalize his name. Career-high numbers that will surely get him another All-Star nod and maybe even All-NBA recognition once again, but without the long road of playoff experience.

The Blazers have been swept out of the playoffs in the past three seasons. The three prior to that were' gentlemen's sweeps at 4-1.

Lillard is exciting to watch, and while he's developed a crisp reputation as a team loyalist, he's also largely viewed as “very good, until not good enough.”

Portland's insistence in keeping the backcourt of Lillard and McCollum together, which they solidified with their respective multi-year contract extensions in the summer, has proven to be a roadblock to the ultimate prize, an NBA title.

Lillard has been on the record saying he wouldn't mind finishing his career without a championship, but the competitor in him has to want more than 19-27 and the 10th place in the West.

The Blazers are 2.5 games away from the last playoff spot, but so are the Phoenix Suns. The Memphis Grizzlies closely trail the eighth-seeded San Antonio Spurs by a half-game, yet every non-playoff game is on a losing streak after Thursday night — showcasing just how tough it is to crack a postseason spot when playing catch-up.

Lillard has been brilliant. He's making (3.7) and attempting (9.8) the most threes he's ever had in his career while hitting a respectable 37% from beyond the arc. His 40-foot bombs and razzle-dazzle dribble moves are some of the reason why the Moda Center is packed on game nights, yet it would be truly unjust to have a player of his caliber and integrity waste the best years of his career without a palpable shot at the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Dame will be remembered as the perennial trooper, a real legend for the city of Portland, but as he approaches the age of 30 this upcoming summer, one can't help but think how depressing it is to see him fall this short of the ultimate glory.