On Monday, CBS Sports revealed his top 25 players in the Eastern Conference. Of course, the list featured a lot of familiar faces, including Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard.
The eight-time NBA All-Star came in at No. 12 on the list and behind the following guards: Tyrese Maxey (#11) of the Philadelphia 76ers, Donovan Mitchell (#7) of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tyrese Haliburton (#6) of the Indiana Pacers, and Jalen Brunson (#4) of the New York Knicks.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard has something to prove in the 2024-25 season
In the writeup about Lillard, James Herbert shared the two opposing views on the former Weber State star.
The glass-half-empty view of Lillard’s first season in Milwaukee: He hurt the Bucks’ defense, had trouble adjusting to being the No. 2 guy and his efficiency declined, which isn’t particularly surprising for a 33-year-old point guard. The glass-half-full view: Despite having to adjust to a new team, new city, new role and two new coaches, Lillard put up numbers roughly on par with his career averages during the regular season and, during the playoffs, had a couple of huge games (coming off a groin injury) before aggravating an Achilles injury.
I lean toward the optimistic perspective, given that Lillard’s final season in Portland was the best of his career and he’ll be coming off a much more normal offseason this time. (He told Doc Rivers that he was not in shape in 2023-24 because he’d done only light workouts the previous summer for fear of getting injured while waiting for a trade, per Rivers.) Yes, Lillard turned 35 in July, but he was No. 10 on this list just a year ago. Don’t be shocked if he makes this ranking look disrespectful
In his first season with the Bucks, Lillard put up 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists through 73 games. He shot just 42.4 percent from the field and posted a 51.0 effective field goal percentage – both below his career norms. But there’s the hope that Lillard will be better in the coming season, considering factors that are favorable to him this time around, including having a longer preparation with the Bucks going into a new campaign.
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