The Damian Lillard saga captivated fans during the recent NBA off-season. His transfer from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks was a lengthy process, involving other teams like the Miami Heat. However, it was ultimately the Bucks who secured the star shooter, and he currently ranks as the second-highest scorer on the Eastern Conference’s third-place team.
Lillard’s transition to Milwaukee has not been seamless. While the Bucks managed to stay competitive despite his slow start in a new uniform and system, his performance has been lacking in one key area this season. Known for his exceptional three-point shooting ability, Lillard has struggled in that aspect of his game, shooting only 34.4% from beyond the arc. This marks his lowest three-point shooting percentage since his third season in the league, when he shot 34.3%.
In fact, Lillard’s accuracy from beyond the arc has dropped so significantly that he has been surpassed by most of his teammates. Out of the 10 rotational players on the Bucks’ roster, all of them boast higher three-point shooting percentages than Lillard, with the lowest being Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 25.5%. In the year 2024 alone, Giannis has shot at a better clip from deep, with 30.2%, compared to Lillard’s 29.6%.
Despite acquiring Lillard with hopes of strengthening their position as contenders for an NBA Championship, the Bucks are currently far from being the top team in the Eastern Conference. While they held a top-three spot for a significant portion of the season, they now find themselves trailing the Celtics by a considerable margin of 8 games heading into the All-Star break. The Cavaliers, in second place, hold a two-game advantage over the Bucks.
Before the break, the Bucks will play their final game against the Memphis Grizzlies, which will be televised on TNT. Milwaukee is favored by 11.5 points in this matchup.
According to the Source sportslens.com