Damian Lillard is tired of the media’s criticism. At least that’s what he said on teammate Thananis Antetokounmpo’s podcast titled Thanalysis Show. The eight-time All-Star was the guest on the podcast’s first episode, where he spoke about the media changing the narrative about his success. He said,
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“We are [#3] in the East. I’m getting 26 points and seven assists… When I was in Portland, it was like, ‘Oh they the seventh seed. They ain’t winning enough. He’s scoring 35 and 40 and blah blah blah.’ And now that I’m not scoring 50 every other game, but we winning a lot more they saying the other stuff. They move the goalposts and they pick and choose.”
Lillard was expected to continue to put up massive numbers after swapping the Portland Trail Blazers for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023 off-season. However, that hasn’t been the case. His scoring average has dropped from 32.2 points per game to 24.6. His shooting percentage has dipped from 46.3% to 42.5% despite averaging three fewer shot attempts per game. Lillard’s assists average has dropped from 7.3 to 6.7 despite playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s averaging 30.8 points per game.
Despite the noticeable dip in production, Lillard was selected to start for the Eastern Conference roster in the 2024 All-Star game. His popularity remains high, but if he wants to end his wait for an NBA title, he needs to improve his production on the court. The Bucks had high expectations from Lillard when they landed him from the Trail Blazers, but he hasn’t lived up to them just yet. That said, he does look close to figuring it all out, despite the change in environment.
Damian Lillard’s rough first campaign in Milwaukee
After spending 11 years in Portland, Damian Lillard decided it was time to give up on his dream of winning a title with the Trail Blazers and embark on a journey to win a chip. It didn’t take long for the Bucks to make a move for the eight-time All-Star and instantly become the title favorites. Every basketball savant salivated at the thought of the superstar guard sharing the court with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the pairing hasn’t lived up to its billing.
Lillard’s transition from Portland to Milwaukee has been rough. Only days after he was traded, he filed for divorce from his wife Kay’La Lillard. There was trouble brewing in their marriage, but they decided to keep things private. In February, he admitted that it’s been tough sledding for him. He said,
“It’s probably been the hardest transition in my life, all things considered. “As much as I love basketball, and I love my job, I don’t care about it more than I care about my kids. Of course you carry it with you. People say, ‘When I hoop I ain’t thinking about nothing,’ but I’m not 21. I got three kids. I’m tight with my family and I’m going through a divorce.”
Moving to Milwaukee from Portland hasn’t been fruitful personally or professionally for Lillard. However, there are more than 25 regular season games left for the superstar guard to figure out the best use of his abilities as a Buck. His end goal is to win a championship, and if he can up the ante in the playoffs and perform at a high level, his regular season struggles will be quickly forgotten.
