Ranking 3 burning Bucks questions based on how badly we want them answered

No. 2 - Is Damian Lillard back to form for good?

It wouldn't take a mind-reader to realize that Damian Lillard wasn't himself last season. Even excluding a litany of off the court issues, the guard entered camp not in tip-top shape due to fear of suffering an injury amid his trade request. Upon landing in Milwaukee days before camp, he had to play catch up and never quite got there throughout the entire season.

This past offseason, with so much chatter on sports talk shows and media cycles about how Lillard might be "washed" or over the hill, the guard worked out relentlessly to prevent a repeat in 2024-25. The veteran wanted to enter the season in the best shape possible, and based on his performance in the opener, he certainly might be back up to speed.

Though it might not been a drastic change to the naked eye, Lillard looked slimmer than he did when last season concluded, and his play reflected that. With agility and quickness, Lillard maneuvered the basketball court on both sides of the ball, fighting defensively while avoiding his matchup offensively to score the ball again and again. He looked like the superstar guard from his Portland days.

In total, Lillard finished with a game-high 30 points, shooting 9-of-19 from the floor, including a strong 6-of-12 from 3-point land. No matter who Philadelphia sent his direction, Lillard oftentimes still found a way to put the ball in the hole. The point guard even turned heads defensively, as he held players to just 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) field goal shooting. It was a tremendous two-way performance.

One game is a small sample size, but the question is now out there whether this is the Damian Lillard that is here to stay. If the Milwaukee Bucks star can keep up this type of production, it bodes well for them in their quest for another championship, which would be Lillard's first.