Why Bucks' Damian Lillard Should Have Bounce-Back Season in Year 2 With Milwaukee

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard struggled by his own standards during his first season with the organization last year, but as he prepares for his sophomore campaign with the Bucks, fans should come to expect to see the Lillard of old.

Cody Smith | Aug 29, 2024

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives for the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the first quarter during game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Fiserv Forum. / Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee Bucks

MILWAUKEE — Prior to the start of last season, Damian Lillard joined the Milwaukee Bucks just days before training camp. It left little time for the eight-time all-star to get acclimated with his new co-stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

As a result of having little continuity with his newfound teammates, Lillard's production took a steep tumble in 2023-24. In his first season as a second-option, Lillard totaled his lowest usage rate (27.4 percent) since 2014-15. Struggling to find his role, Lillard attempted his fewest shots (17.5 per game) since 2014-15 and his fewest three-point attempts (8.5 per game) since 2018-19. The steep decline in shot attempts forced Lillard's scoring average to drop by nearly eight points.

Before joining the Bucks, Lillard averaged 32.2 points per game in 2022-23 with the Portland Trail Blazers, but that significantly dropped to 24.3 points per game last year.

“I think when the trade happened, everybody was like, well, 'Milwaukee’s gonna win it,' and I think when it didn’t always look the way they wanted it to look or thought it was gonna look, and I wasn’t looking how I looked in Portland, it was like, oh, what’s going on with Dame? Why is Dame not doing this?” he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“But for a greater part of the season I was still averaging about 26 points. Like, if you really think about that – what standard do y’all hold me to if I’m scoring 26 points and averaging 7 assists and I’m not feeling great? I’m going through a lot of stuff. That’s just the truth. Like, how?

“For me, I just understand. It’s going to be my 13th season. People get bored with what’s consistent, you know? And also I understand that I wasn’t the best version of myself. I showed up – and I was productive. We was a three seed. Two seed for pretty much the whole season until the very last game. But I understand. There’s new guys up and coming. They’re learning more about new guys. They’re making the strides I made when I was 24, 25. And excitement comes with that, because we haven’t seen this yet. And then as you get older, people are like oh, he can’t do this no more, what’s going on? It’s just the cycle. I’ve seen it happen to other guys as well. I think I just fall into that category at this point, you know?”

Despite still being an All-Star last season, Lillard also had his worst overall shooting season (42.4%) when playing at least 60 games since 2015-16 and his worst three-point shooting season (35.4%) since 2014-15. Whether it was the fact that he was going through a divorce or simply struggling with the transition of moving across the country, Lillard noted that last season took a toll on him.

“There was a lot of change, a lot of stress, you know?” he said in the same interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I think now, having an opportunity to get myself in order and kind of start pushing forward to next season…I don’t participate in weak-minded (expletive). So I’m going to go out there and keep showing up. And I’m going to take the criticism or whatever people say. I’m aware of it, but I also know if somebody say something and I’m like, that’s true, I’m going to be like, that’s real right there and I’m going to deal with it as that. But when I’m hearing something and I don’t believe it – which a lot of what I’ve seen and heard said about me – that’s just what the media has become. It’s not truth. And I know that.

“So I’m not a player that’s breaking down," he added. "I live a clean, good, healthy life so I can do it. I can do the same (expletive) I did two, three years ago. I can do it right now. It’s just a matter of what does that look like on this team?

If Lillard seems to believe that he can turn back the clock and get back to his former self then so should Milwaukee Bucks' fans.

Can Lillard Return to Form in 2024-25?

One of the most stressful things a professional athlete can endure is having to move cities after a long tenure with a specific organization. It takes a toll on one's mental and physical health. All throughout last season Lillard showed transparency about his adjustment to Milwaukee. As someone who prides himself on his mental toughness, Lillard was able to admit that going through a divorce and moving to a different city for the first time in 12 years was substantial.

Having now had a full year to transition with his new squad, Lillard feels better positioned to succeed. According to Owczarski, he's been in constant communication with Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis. Lillard also has a long history playing with one of the Bucks' latest signings, Gary Trent Jr., from their time spent together in Portland from 2018-21.

The continuity Lillard has been able to build with his current teammates is something that should not be ignored when projecting how well the Bucks can fair this upcoming season. He's been busy overhauling his body, spending time with American endurance athlete David Goggins in order to be in pristine shape ahead of his 13th NBA season.

Damian Lillard is training with David Goggins?

Yeah it’s wraps for the league this season 😭🔥pic.twitter.com/IskeTFde0D
— ᴛʏʟᴇʀ (@blazersforreal) August 23, 2024

Last season Milwaukee finished as a three-seed in the East after totaling a 49-33 overall record in the regular season. They nearly eclipsed the 50-win mark despite having multiple head coaching changes on top of Lillard's chaotic transition. As a team that's expected to be fully healthy come its season opener against Philadelphia on Oct. 23, Milwaukee should get back on track as one of the top team's competing for an NBA title.

“The fact that we’re there and we’re under the radar is perfect,” Lillard said to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “because they’re gonna think nothing of us and then they’re gonna be like…”

He paused, briefly, with a head nod.

“You gotta face the truth, eventually. That’s how that usually works.”

There's no question Lillard feels more comfortable ahead of this season. He's now fully moved to Milwaukee and he's been able to go through a full summer of offseason workouts knowing exactly where he fits in on the Bucks' roster.

If he can remain healthy, there's no reason Lillard shouldn't be able to increase his production similarly to his 2020-21 campaign with the Trail Blazers, where he averaged 28.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 45.1 percent shooting from the field.

Can Lillard Return to Form in 2024-25?

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