THE Portland Trail Blazers made the biggest trade of the current millennium last September when they traded perennial All-Star Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks Lillard was the face of the franchise for 11 seasons. He was the team’s all-time leading scorer, considered by many to be the best player to ever wear the uniform. All things being equal, the Blazers probably would have preferred to keep their superstar guard. Lillard’s age and Portland’s lack of success conspired to force the trade.
The Blazers haven’t fared any better since, winning just 21 games last season. It appears the questions surrounding Lillard haven’t entirely subsided either.
In a article with Jim Owczarski from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel [subscription required], summary by Adam Wells According to Bleacher Report, Lillard is promising to have a stellar season ahead. The backdrop to that wish is the plummeting stats during the 2023-24 season, Lillard’s first in Milwaukee. He went from averaging 32.2 points the year before to just 24.3, while his shooting percentage dropped from 46.3% to 42.4% overall, and from 37.1% to 35.4% from three-point range.
The change in franchise and role — from obvious first-round pick to co-star of former league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo — offers a partial explanation for the decline. The specter of age, however, continues to loom. Lillard just turned 34 and has now logged a dozen full seasons, topping 30,000 regular-season minutes, in the NBA.
As Owczarski reports, Lillard is quick to denigrate the effects of time:
I live a clean, good, healthy life, so I can do it. I can do the same thing (insult) I did two or three years ago. I can do it now.
The jury is still out, however.
What do you think? A year later, would you say the Blazers got through Lillard’s aging at the right time, or do you think he still has several years left to play at a high level? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
