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.
2. Leading the Bucks to the Conference Finals at a minimum
When Giannis Antetokounmpo selected Lillard with his first pick in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, it was clear he knew of the talent the point guard possessed. Many thought Lillard may have been one of the players the Greek superstar wanted to join the Milwaukee Bucks and aid them in winning another title.
Coming into last season, the excitement to see the pick-and-roll between the two of them and what the two-man game would look like was high. In the end, it never quite came out as many had hoped, and what felt like an unguardable play was underutilized.
Giannis missed the entire first-round series with the Pacers, and Lillard played four of the six games. Assuming health is fine, the threat the partnership can bring is what could get the Bucks over the first postseason hurdle and build momentum to make a deep run.
Lillard himself has shown he can lead a playoff team deep when he took a relatively lackluster Trail Blazers team to the Conference Finals in 2019.
There is, of course, context to add, but Milwaukee hasn't been to the Conference Finals since they won the title in 2021.
In the 2021-22 season, they lost in the semifinals to the Boston Celtics in seven without Khris Middleton, then back to back first round exits to the Miami Heat and Pacers with injuries to Giannis and Lillard; it does still tarnish this era of the Bucks.
Of course, a title is the ultimate prize, and Milwaukee has won one, but when you have arguably the best player in the world, it feels like they should or could have won another and should be going further. If the roster as a whole can be healthy heading into the postseason, then the Milwaukee Bucks will be dangerous.
If he and Giannis can become one of the deadliest duos in the league, as we expected, and the Bucks can at least reach the Conference Finals again, then Damian Lillard will silence those doubters.
3. Making the All-Star Game again and winning an award
One way that NBA players can earn respect or get it back is to put up an All-Star-caliber season. We know that Damian Lillard can do that and more.
Last season, many were questioning his selection to the starting lineup ahead of Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young in the All-Star Game. If Lillard can have another strong statistical season and the Milwaukee Bucks remain more settled, he has every chance of being named to the starting lineup again.
Getting into and potentially winning the 3-Point Contest again would also silence the doubters. Only Larry Bird and Craig Hodges have won the contest on three occasions, and if Lillard wins, he will join those two in winning three as well.
Another way for Lillard to silence the doubters would be to win an award like the Clutch Player of the Year. Hitting clutch shots late on will always get attention with close games being won and the frenzy it causes on social media. We saw Lillard do this against the Sacramento Kings last season when his buzzer-beater three won the game for Milwaukee.
With modern fandom being so social media based, getting those clips circulating again could be a way to not only earn votes for the All-Star Game but also win back the respect he deserves. He will be in better shape this season than last.
With his family sorted and now a full offseason in Milwaukee, the Bucks' closer can then make those shots to come through for his teammates and take home an individual award, as well as leading the team to success.
These are just three ways that Damian Lillard can silence the doubters this season, and there is no doubt he will do more than that.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and previews as the NBA season edges ever closer.