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Despite recently earning his first All-Star starter selection, Milwaukee Bucks superstar point guard Damian Lillard isn’t satisfied with his first season with his new team.
Lillard has had to adapt to being a secondary scorer after years of being the Portland Trail Blazers’ No. 1 option. He has taken a backseat to two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is widely considered the best player he has ever played with.
Lillard has put forth elite scoring numbers alongside his new co-star thus far, averaging 25.1 points per game compared to Antetokounmpo’s team-best 30.9 ppg. The superstar duo’s one-two punch has fueled the Bucks’ third-ranked offensive rating (120.1). Meanwhile, the team ranks second in the Eastern Conference (32-16).
Nonetheless, Lillard still sees plenty of room for self-improvement.
“I do feel like I could play a lot better, and I know that I will play a lot better, but it’s not going to look the same,” Lillard said during a recent interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
The 33-year-old is also determined to win his first NBA title with Milwaukee after continuously coming up short with Portland.
“We’re winning a lot of games, and I just think it’s a different situation. I’m committed to growing and being part of a team that’s got a chance to win it all, and I think that’s the process that we’re in,” Lillard said.
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Can Damian Lillard and the Bucks reach another level this season?
Despite Damian Lillard and Milwaukee’s early success, most would probably agree with the superstar point guard that he and his team can reach another level.
The Bucks still rank just 19th in defensive rating (116.3) after ranking fourth last season (110.9). Their biggest change since then was trading defensive-minded star guard Jrue Holiday for Lillard. So, the team will have to find a way to compensate for its defensive shortcomings with him in the lineup.
Additionally, many have accused Milwaukee of looking disjointed on offense, often over-relying on the individual brilliance of Lillard and Antetokounmpo to scrape out wins.
The team recently made one big move to try to rectify its issues by firing rookie coach Adrian Griffin midseason. The Bucks replaced him with Doc Rivers, a proven championship coach. However, following Wednesday’s 119-116 upset loss to Portland, the Bucks are 0-2 under Rivers.
It remains to be seen if Milwaukee will make some moves to bolster its defense before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline. Regardless, as many have pointed out, the team still has a lot of work to do if it wants to win the 2024 title.
