Bucks Zone

Damian Lillard admits 'he hasn't completely settled in to finding who he is on this team'

Damian Lillard admits he’s still adjusting to life in Milwaukee.

Jonas Panerio

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When news of Damian Lillard's trade to the Milwaukee Bucks broke, many said the league would be in a world of trouble. After all, between Lillard's perimeter wizardry and Giannis Antetokounmpo's inside dominance, it seemed like the Bucks were forming an unstoppable duo. But as the season progressed, it became clear that there were some growing pains to be had.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Lillard opened up about his experience joining a new team and how he is still finding his identity within the Bucks organization.

Tempered expectations

While there have been some bright spots in his brief tenure in Milwaukee, his efficiency numbers show how much of a challenge it has been for Lillard to adjust to a new system and new teammates. Shooting just 42 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range, Dame's numbers are well below his career averages. However, he remains optimistic about the potential of this team.

"I thought we was going to be how Boston is right now. But I think what I've learned is that some things take time, especially stuff that has reward in the end. You can't come into it and think that it's just going to be all peaches and cream. We've had our ups and downs. We've had a coaching change. I haven't completely settled in to finding who am I on this team. And that's kind of a tough thing," Lillard shared.

"I think any star who's been traded deals with it. Now that I look back on it, I would imagine LeBron [James] probably felt how I feel when he went to Miami. Not with who he is. I'm sure he knew who he was, but who am I within this team, and how does it look? What does my best look like on this team? And that's draining to be constantly trying to figure it out."

Still winning

Despite the instability surrounding the Bucks these days, the good thing is they continue to rack up victories, having won three straight after the All-Star break. Lillard believes this is encouraging for Milwaukee as it shows how much better they can be when all the pieces are clicking.

"I think the most encouraging thing is that we've been able to win a lot of games and it's a long season. So we've had adversity hit our team two or three different times, and we've managed to still be a top-three team in the East with a lot of games to go and still being far away from reaching what we could be and what we should be," Lillard continued.

"And since Doc has gotten here, we've kind of shuffled some things around and set kind of a new foundation of things that's really encouraging. And I think my job is to just stay in the process."

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO