How Bad is Damian Lillard Defensively? Despite Boasting 2 DPOY Contenders, Bucks are One of NBA’s Worst Defensive Teams

When the Bucks bought in Damian Lillard during the off season in the blockbuster three-team deal, they were hoping to recreate their 2021 championship victory season. But now that, it seems like that is going to prove difficult as their 2023-24 regular season is off to a rocky start. While it True that it may be too soon to predict the final outcome, Milwaukee is now down 2-2 and are struggling to maintain consistency with their performances.

And the one person struggling the most is Damian Lillard. While it is a known fact that Dame is one of the best when it comes to offense, his defense has not been horribly bad as it is now.

Bucks’ woes with defense

When the team traded Jrue Holiday for Lillard, many questioned this move. Holiday is one of the best defensive players in the league. His five-time selections to the NBA All-Defensive team is a proof of that. But with him gone, there is a huge gap in the team. While Giannis Antetokounmpo is great, he has other areas to focus on. The other best option for defense is Brook Lopez. And that is who the Head Coach Adrian Griffin. He shared,

He recently spoke on his defense philosophy saying that their best shot at correcting this was by focusing on Brook Lopez. He added that they hope to “It makes sense to keep Brook closer to the rim where he can be a threat on the defensive boards and list them to one shot... With Brook’s size and in the past, he’s been pretty dominant with his rebounding and limiting teams to just one opportunity.”

Griffin also pointed out that the team is still getting to know each other and trying to figure out what works for them best. This is his first season with the Bucks and with the entry of another new player in the team, it makes sense that they need more time. But, they must figure out a gameplay that works the best for everyone involved as soon as possible.

How has Damian Lillard played

Lillard also must put in the work as he has scored extremely low even in offense, his biggest strengths. While he did begin the season strong with 39 points in the first game, he has dropped since then with just 15 points and 6 points. In Milwaukee’s victory against Miami Heat, he barely scraped by with 25 points. And all of this came with him playing the regular minutes.

Read more :“It’s Insane”: Giannis Antetokounmpo Left Baffled After Watching Lakers’ Treatment of Damian Lillard on Bucks Debut

At the beginning of the season, Damian spoke about his move to the Bucks. He acknowledged that while he may not exactly be like Jrue, he promised to give his best to help them win the championship. Now, it is high time that he kept that promise and played better to help in the Buck’s championship run.

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