3 Ways Bucks guard Damian Lillard can silence his doubters in 2024-25
On September 27 last year, the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the NBA by trading away Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen and three picks for star point guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a tough season for everyone in Wisconsin with a whirlwind of coaching changes, injuries and Lillard being away from his family and not having much of an offseason with the Bucks.
Despite the Bucks' season ending with both Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo injured in their playoff series with the Indiana Pacers, Lillard statistically had a very solid season. He averaged 24.3 points, seven assists and 4.4 rebounds on shooting splits of .424/.354/.920. He started the NBA All-Star Game, claimed the All-Star MVP and won his second straight 3-Point Contest.
The way the Bucks' season ended left a sour taste in the mouth of many NBA fans and has seemingly deterred people from including Milwaukee in the conversation of contenders while writing off Lillard. With his former running partner Gary Trent Jr. joining the Bucks on a minimum to play with Lillard, this could be the boost Milwaukee needs in the backcourt to win another NBA title.
That said, here are three ways Damian Lillard can silence the doubters during the 2024-25 season.
1. Starting off hot
One of the best ways to silence the doubters is for Lillard to start the season hot. Coming out of the blocks and putting the league on notice while showing he is still that guy will do wonders for him and the Milwaukee Bucks as a whole.
In the 2023-24 season, he dropped 39 against the Philadelphia 76ers in his debut but followed it up with six points against the Atlanta Hawks. He then had 25 and 15-point games. If he can start the season by putting up big numbers consistently, everyone will see the Bucks as a serious threat again.
When the new season in any sport starts, the excitement and anticipation are always heightened. If he can be a standout instantly, the league will realize Milwaukee and Lillard haven't gone anywhere.
With a full offseason and preseason in Milwaukee under his belt, Lillard is in way better shape coming into this season for him to stamp his authority on the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee dropped away towards the end of the season and landed in the third seed, so a strong end to the season is still crucial, but if Lillard can start the season hot and have some big games with Trent back alongside him, those who wrote him off might need to reconsider.