Last NBA season, Damian Lillard joined the Milwaukee Bucks to form a “super team” alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
This trio of players brought great efficiency to the Bucks both offensively and defensively, achieving a net-rating of up to +17.5 points. But the problem is that this combination did not last long.
Lillard, Antetokounmpo and Middleton played only 42 games together (out of 82 regular season games) due to various injuries. In the Playoffs alone, the Bucks did not have a single game with all three of their stars present.
Damian Lillard personally also had a difficult season. Knowing that Dame’s stats will decrease when becoming the second or third scoring option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Middleton, but Lillard’s efficiency is also very low.
Damian’s 3PT percentage has dropped to 35.4% and his true-shooting percentage has dropped to 59%, which is just above league average and lower than what Lillard had in his 10 years with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Combined with a mid-season coaching change and injuries to key players, Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks were not very successful in their first season working together.
Talking about the past season, the player born in 1990 confessed that this was an extremely difficult period for him because he encountered problems both on and off the field.
“At first I thought it would be easy because it was just a job. But it was harder than I thought. From moving and having family problems (divorce) to changing the way I played on the court with Giannis and Khris Middleton.
“Both of my teammates are big stars, so I had to learn how to play with them and play with them. I didn’t want them to change anything, just trying to put myself in the best position for the team. It was a lot harder than I expected,” Damian Lillard said.
After the 2021 championship season, the Milwaukee Bucks have undergone many changes in personnel. Former head coach Mike Budenholzer is no longer in the position, and important piece Jrue Holiday has moved to the Boston Celtics, who just won the NBA championship 2 months ago.
There is not much time left, the 2024-25 season will be an opportunity for not only the Milwaukee Bucks but also Damian Lillard personally to show himself, aiming to compete for the Eastern championship as well as the entire tournament.
