3 Bucks who are underperforming, 2 exceeding expectations at the All-Star break

Underperforming: Damian Lillard

The Bucks gave up Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, a first round draft pick, and two first-round swaps to get Lillard on the eve of the season. It convinced Giannis to sign an extension and proved the franchise was all-in, but the results have been mixed thus far.

Milwaukee has slipped into the bottom half in defensive rating after being elite under Mike Budenholzer. The Bucks have a top five offense and knew trading Holiday for Dame would make their D take a step back. Was the tradeoff worth it? If Lillard does not shoot better, the answer is no.

Dame dominated All-Star weekend winning the 3-point contest and All-Star game MVP. His numbers for the season are outstanding, but slightly down. He is averaging 24.6 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 34.9 minutes per game on 42.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.1 percent on his 3-point attempts. Dame needs to be more efficient because his defense is always going to be below average.

Will the Milwaukee Bucks find their footing down the stretch and make a deep playoff run? They have the talent and desire. New head coach Doc Rivers has their defense climbing the rankings, so stay tuned to see how far the Giannis and Dame partnership can lead the franchise.