Bucks News: Damian Lillard Blames Milwaukee's 1-2 Start on Key Issue

The eight-time All-Star has some thoughts.

Oct 27, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket in the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Prior to the Milwaukee Bucks' ongoing bout against the Boston Celtics Monday night, eight-time All-Star Bucks point guard Damian Lillard got honest about why the club has started off with a disappointing 1-2 record, despite playing three teams against whom it should have been favored: the Philadelphia 76ers (whom the Bucks beat with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting), the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn nets.

Per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, the 6-foot-2 Weber State alum appeared to blame himself and his fellow starters Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince (starting in the stead of the perpetually injured Khris Middleton).

“I just think we’re not getting off to very disciplined starts,” Lillard said. “Teams get it and have a little bit of success and they’re just kind of rolling over on us … I think, especially the last two games [against the Bulls and Nets], you give teams that confidence early, they start to believe.”

Does this mean Lillard would like for head coach Doc Rivers to make some out-of-the-box lineup changes? Perhaps. He could opt to swap 2021 Bucks champ Pat Connaughton in for Trent at the two, but Connaughton's offense is nowhere near Trent's, and his defense has fallen off recently. 6-foot-5 vet Delon Wright, probably the team's best bench point-of-attack defender, seems like the obvious next choice to serve as the club's starting shooting guard. He's a far better defender than Trent, and although he's a more limited scorer, the 32-year-old is a career 35.4 percent 3-point shooter, albeit on a modest 1.9 triple tries a night. This year, he's only connecting on a quarter of 1.3 long range takes through three completed games, but it's early yet.

Milwaukee unfortunately appears doomed to lose its third straight bout on Monday night and drop to 1-3. The Bucks are currently trailing the reigning champion Celtics by double digits, 108-94, with 5:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of their ongoing matchup at TD Garden. Lillard and Trent's defense has been especially heinous. They've allowed backup point guard Peyton Pritchard to score 28 points and counting on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Boston has thrown all kinds of defensive looks at All-NBA power forward Antetokounmpo, from former Bucks champ Jrue Holiday to three-time All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown. It's looking like more than the Bucks can bear.

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