Steve Dykes/Associated Press

Damian Lillard Talks All-Star Game Snubs, Having Fewer Votes Than Lonzo Ball

Tim Daniels

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard said he's "frustrated" by the lack of respect he's received in terms of NBA All-Star selections, but he's not surprised he's behind Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball in this year's voting due to the hype around Ball.

Lillard has made two All-Star Game appearances, most recently in 2015, and he addressed the topic in an interview with Chris Haynes of ESPN.com:

"I've gotten frustrated just for the fact that it feels like I always got to be the fall guy and every other guy has been deserving. In the past, the thing has been, 'All right, my team has been 10 games under .500 or not in the playoffs,' but every year we've found a way to be in the postseason, and this year I think we're in much better position than we have been in the past two seasons that I didn't make it. I think I've gotten over the emotional part of it the last few times that I didn't make it. Now I'm kind of like expecting it to go that way, but I feel like I should be there."

The 27-year-old California native ranked eighth among Western Conference guards in the most recent fan vote update. Ball was nearly 30,000 votes ahead of him in seventh.

That's even though Lillard ranks sixth among all NBA point guards in Player Efficiency Rating, according to ESPN.com, while Ball is 52nd.

"He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most, if not the most, storied franchises in that big of a market," Lillard told Haynes. "So, so many people are going to support him throughout that, and also with his dad and all the attention that's been surrounding him since college. There's a lot of people that follow him, so, that's not really a surprise to me. The market size and what's going on with his family, it's no surprise really to me."

Among the reasons the Weber State product is perpetually underrated are television market size—Portland is 22nd, while L.A. is second—and his location on the West Coast.

The late games on national TV have been dominated by the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and the two L.A. franchises throughout his career. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets have also garnered more attention recently.

It's often left Lillard off the radar despite averaging 22.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds across 433 games in five-plus NBA seasons.

While he has a strong case for All-Star Game inclusion once again this year, there's no guarantee he'll be selected given the guard depth in the West.

Team captains and starters for the event will be announced Thursday night at 6 p.m. ET on TNT.

   

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