The Milwaukee Bucks are anxious for the 2024-25 NBA season to start. They are hoping that a normal offseason without any major trades or coaching changes will allow them to adequately prepare for the regular season. Last season, as many may recall, was far from normal. The sudden change of the roster right before training camp shocked many, and the head coaching situation was not as solid as the team thought.
Of course, the Bucks’ head coach heading into the 2023-24 season was Adrian Griffin, who was hired to replace the fired Mike Budenholzer. While the Bucks hired several veteran coaches to help the rookie head coach, their top assistant, Terry Stotts, suddenly resigned after a dispute with Griffin during a preseason practice.
Milwaukee shot off to a 30-13 start to the season, but it was clear that their head coach had lost the locker room. Griffin was fired after 43 games and replaced by Doc Rivers. The new head coach kept Griffin’s staff on for the rest of the season but has spent this current offseason firing and hiring coaches to round out his own staff.
The hope is that continuity and experience will help lead to a better product on the court this season.
The Milwaukee Bucks Traded Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen for Damian Lillard Right Before Training Camp Last Year
Perhaps the biggest shock of last offseason, though, was the trade that brought Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. For months, it was rumored that the only team the disgruntled superstar would play for was the Miami Heat. However, when Miami failed to meet the Portland Trailblazers’ asking price, the Bucks were able to facilitate a three-team trade that paired Lillard with their own superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In order to make the trade work, Milwaukee had to send away fan-favorite Jrue Holiday, who had helped the Bucks win the first NBA Championship in 50 years back in 2021. They also had to send Grayson Allen to the Phoenix Suns, the third team that was part of the trade.
After Lillard was acquired by Milwaukee, expectations were that the Bucks would be one of the best and most dangerous teams in the NBA Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, that did not end up being the case.
Damian Lillard Had a “Down Year” In His First Season with the Milwaukee Bucks
In his first season with the Bucks, Lillard averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 42/35/92 from the field. He was voted an All-Star starter for the first time in his career (his eighth overall selection), won the three-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend, and was the MVP of the All-Star Game.
However, his regular seasons stats were a far cry below the 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists he averaged during his final season with Portland while shooting 46/37/91 from the floor.
Milwaukee also won just 19 games after Griffin was fired and finished third in the Eastern Conference. With the Greek Freak hurt and out for their first round series against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Playoffs, the Bucks failed to advance in the postseason for the second year in a row.
Lillard was also hampered during that series with an Achillies injury.
After the season, the All-Star point guard revealed to Rivers that he did not work out at all during the offseason because he was worried about getting hurt before being traded. In other words, he showed up to training camp out of shape and out of practice.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Issues a Warning to the Rest of the NBA
Now that he has had a full offseason free of questions about where he will play, Lillard is focused on proving that 2023-24 was a fluke. Fans may also recall that he was going through a messy divorce last season as well, which he admitted affected his focus.
All the distractions that impacted him last year, though, are gone. Recently, Lillard told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Hoops Rumors), “I’m not a player that’s breaking down. I live a clean, good, healthy life, so I can do it. I can do the same s— I did two, three years ago. I can do it right now.”
Clearly, Lillard believes that he will have a much better season in his second year in Milwaukee than he did in his first. He continued, “But when for a greater part of the season I was still averaging about 26 points. Like, if you really think about that – what standard do y’all hold me to if I’m scoring 26 points and averaging seven assists and I’m not feeling great? I’m going through a lot of stuff. That’s just the truth.”
Now Lillard does feel great. He is healthy. Giannis is healthy. Khris Middleton is healthy.
While they need to prove that they are back to their full potential on the court, they certainly believe they prove a lot of doubters wrong.
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