Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. He has been spectacular all season and set the pace for the 2012 rookie class for excellent play.
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving was in the same position as Lillard last season. He was the standout rookie of the 2011 rookie class and ran away with the Rookie of the Year award voting, receiving 117 of 120 first-place votes.
As good as Lillard is, Irving taught him on Wednesday night that he has a lot of learning to do when it comes to defensive patience. Irving isolated against Lillard, took him into the lane and then used incredible footwork to wait for Lillard to dig his own defensive grave. Irving kept his left foot down as his pivot through the series of fakes. Once the Blazers' rookie bit on the pump fake, Irving capitalized with the bank shot.
Maybe next season Lillard can do this to a star rookie point guard as a passing of the torch ceremony.
