Damian Lillard was expected to be a key player alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, helping him lead the Milwaukee Bucks to another championship. Instead, Lillard has been a disappointment.
In his first season with the Bucks, Lillard made just 35.4% of his three-pointers, which ranked 124th in the league (minimum of three attempts per game). This season, he started strong but has returned to the same form as last year — still a good shooter but weak on defense.
After 10 games, Lillard is shooting 34.8% from three, ranking 107th in the league. The bigger problem is his struggles against top defenders. In Milwaukee’s recent losses to New York and Boston, Lillard went just 10-of-30 from the field and 1-of-12 from three.
The loss to Boston on Sunday was especially troubling. Despite the Bucks leading 69-58 at halftime, thanks to 27 first-half points from Antetokounmpo, Lillard had a poor second half.
He missed all five of his three-point attempts, turned the ball over three times, and was a -22 while on the court. By the end of the game, he was almost unplayable, unable to defend against Derrick White and Jrue Holiday as they made plays.
Lillard’s struggles on defense are well known, but his poor shooting from beyond the arc is now a bigger concern for the Bucks. Known for his clutch shots in Portland, Lillard is no longer reliable when it counts.
This is happening at a time when Antetokounmpo is playing his best basketball. The two-time MVP is averaging 31.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, shooting an impressive 60.7% from the field. This comes after he became the first player in NBA history to average over 30 points on more than 60% shooting in a season. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo’s amazing stats will mean little if Lillard continues to struggle.
