Bucks Zone

Damian Lillard insists the Milwaukee Bucks have yet to reach full potential

The Milwaukee Bucks are up in the standings despite not reaching their full potential yet.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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More than halfway through the regular season, there are only two teams in the Eastern Conference that have better records than the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have stayed at the upper part of the standings for the most part of the season and did so even if they still need to be in peak form.

Damian Lillard made it clear that the Bucks still have more room for improvement and assured them they can only improve as the season enters its critical stretches.

“I think the beauty of everything that we’ve been through as a team so far this season and how much room we have to grow is that there's a lot of season left. We've been able to find ways to get it done and win games, and we haven’t been our best selves on either end of the floor. So I think that's something for us to be excited about,” said Lillard after the team’s 112-95 win over the defending champions Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Milwaukee can still get better

The Bucks have won their last two games, where they put in an excellent defensive effort and held their opponents below 100 points. Lillard said the Bucks can still get better, not just defensively but also offensively.

“We could be better offensively; we can be better defensively. I think it's a lot to be unlocked, it’s still a lot of things that we haven't been able to do at a high level for a long period of time. Whether that's a full game or over a stretch of games. The closer we get to that I think it'll be great,” said Lillard.

Starting to adjust under a new coach

The Bucks have gone through a lot this season, including a coaching change that saw the arrival of Doc Rivers after 43 games. Lillard admitted the Bucks were put in a challenging situation with the sudden coaching change as they had to adjust to a new system.

Fortunately for the Bucks, they have started to develop their chemistry under Rivers.

“We struggled a little bit initially. I think it was just changing some of our foundation that we've grown accustomed to over the first couple months of the season and now that it's down, we’re starting to pick up on it. We are starting to understand better, we are getting more and more connected and I think now we are starting to take off a little bit to look like it on the floor and win some games,” Lillard said.

The Bucks are just 3-5 under Rivers, and after winning their two games, fans are eager to see if they can start showing their true potential.

What we learned from the Milwaukee Bucks' blowout win over the Denver Nuggets

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.