Damian Lillard spent the first 11 seasons of his NBA career proudly representing the Portland Trail Blazers trying to carry the small-market franchise to the mountaintop. However, a natural splitting point came over the summer as Lillard wanted to be traded to a win-now situation while the Blazers wanted to rebuild.
Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and returned to Portland for the first time in away colors tonight. Blazers fans were raucous while honoring Lillard, with a minute-long ovation for the franchise star.
A look inside Moda Center as Damian Lillard was announced to the Portland crowd 🥹
The ovation from the Blazers fans lasted an entire minute 🤯👏
(via @PeterSampson) https://t.co/iH9amCYZJW pic.twitter.com/tlSyZqPw5R
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 1, 2024
Lillard’s move in the summer was extremely controversial. After two seasons in the Draft lottery, Lillard realized he wouldn’t be able to carry the Blazers to a title unless win-now moves were made. The Blazers chose to ignore Lillard’s desire and didn’t hunt for upgrades via trade with the No. 3 pick and the assortment of young talent.
Lillard demanded a trade only to the Miami Heat, a notion the Blazers rejected because they didn’t like Miami’s trade package. After months of disagreement, Lillard was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks. Dame wanted to return to the Blazers when they refused to deal him to Miami, but the Blazers reportedly declined and sent him to Milwaukee.
Even with the messy end to the relationship on the front office side, no Blazers fan would ever say Dame quit on the team. He is among the greatest players the franchise has ever seen and his jersey will one day hang from the rafters at the Moda Center.
Damian Lillard Hasn’t Been As Lethal In Milwaukee
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists last season, trying to single-handily carry the Blazers to the playoffs. Despite a strong start to the season, the Blazers fell victim to injuries and inexperience, leading to another season outside the playoffs. Nobody blamed Lillard for the failure, as he was having historic offensive showings, including a 70-point game last season.
In Milwaukee, Lillard is the No. 2 option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo but hasn’t been thriving. He’s averaging 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 42.2% from the field, not numbers we’d typically expect from Dame.
The Bucks have still been a top team in the East and recently fired head coach Adrian Griffin Sr. in favor of bringing Doc Rivers back to the NBA. Lillard and Griffin didn’t seem to have the best relationship, so a veteran coach like Rivers could be a more tolerable authority figure in the eyes of Dame.
The Bucks are not the best team in the East despite many thinking they could be solidified title favorites after the Lillard acquisition. The Boston Celtics still seem a step ahead of the Bucks but their last head-to-head encounter saw the Celtics lose in a horrific showing.
Lillard catching fire would make the Bucks an terrifying opponent to get past, especially in the postseason. Hopefully, he can live up to the lofty expectations everyone has of him in Milwaukee.
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