Even though his numbers dropped during his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard remains one of the best players in the league. This is evidenced by HoopsHype’s Top 100 Players list, which includes the All-Star guard.
The Bucks are preparing for the 2024-25 NBA season with a revamped team focus on team chemistryespecially as Lillard looks to escalate his synergy with stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. After a disappointing playoff exit, the team made significant changes, including hiring Doc Rivers as head coach to improve on-court dynamics.
Lillard showed promising potential in combination with Antetokounmpo and Middleton, contributing to sturdy offensive play. Their scoring totals and combined minutes indicate solid fundamentals. However, Lillard’s adjustment to his recent role has not been without its challenges, especially when it comes to the team’s defensive play, which deteriorated dramatically last season.
With recent additions like Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright and Taurean Prince, the Bucks are looking to strengthen their lineup and revitalize their defensive capabilities. The coaching staff is under significant pressure to perform well, especially in lightweight of past playoff failures.
As the upcoming season approaches, the Bucks’ ability to build sturdy relationships between key players will be key. If they can successfully combine their offensive talents and improve their defense, Milwaukee could become a earnest championship contender. The focus now turns to how well Lillard integrates into the team’s established system and contributes to its overall success.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard ranks 21st in the latest HoopsHype Top 100
Recently, HoopsHype has published its list 1st place on the list of the 100 best NBA players. As analyzed by Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon, Dame is in 21st place.
As such, Lillard has had some difficulty posting third worst VORP and BPM in his career, averaging 24.3 points and 7.0 assists on 42.4% shooting from the floor. Just how brilliant Lillard has been in his career is a testament to the fact that these numbers are seen as a decline in his game. Disturbingly, Lillard’s three-point percentage dropped to 35.4 percent last season, also the third-worst mark of his career.
Regardless, we expect Lillard’s three-point accuracy to return to a more normal level next season (37.1% for his career), which will lend a hand him return to his previous borderline levels across the NBA. Our confidence in Lillard’s rebound is further reinforced by the fact that he scored 67.7 percent from three to the basket in the 2023–2024 season, which is the highest score of his career and one more proof that he still has something in him in terms of sports.
Last season, Lillard averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists. Even though he was considered to have a bad year, the numbers don’t lie and the defenseman still made a positive impact for Milwaukee.
Time will tell whether Lillard will go on a revenge tour to prove his doubters wrong or not. Either way, Dame still has what it takes to prove he deserves to be among the NBA’s best players.
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