Damian Lillard has been known to be an offensive threat ever since he joined the NBA in 2012. However, there is one aspect of his game that most are aware of: Damian Lillard's defense is not that impressive.
Ironically, the player the Milwaukee Bucks gave up for him was known for his defensive prowess - Jrue Holiday.
It was the same formula that helped the Bucks win the NBA title in 2021. Holiday was named the best defender in an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic in April. The two-time All-Star guard got 28.7% from more than 100 players who participated in that survey, SI.com reported.
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For his part, Lillard has always been known as a bad defender. Being the lone star in Portland, the seven-time All-Star was never held accountable by the Blazers, Brad Botkin of CBS Sports pointed out.
However, things are different now in Milwaukee. His scoring is a given, but he needs to exert more effort in helping out on defense. In that loss to the Toronto Raptors, this sequence shows the effort that the 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year renders.
If Lillard wants an NBA title, he will need to exert more effort, especially on defense. His arrival may have catapulted the Bucks as favorites in the Eastern Conference, even possibly reaching the NBA Finals.
However, winning the Larry O'Brien trophy is another subject matter.
In the eyes of Lindy's Pro Basketball Annual editor Roland Lazenby in an interview with Sports Bytes Philippines, he sees the Bucks making the finals but not winning it all this 2023-24 season.
"I picked the Bucks to go to the championship series. I don't think they'll win it but I think they will be the team that comes out of the east. That will depend on how their chemistry develops but I like their chances," the veteran journalist stated.
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