Bucks’ Damian Lillard is a Better Defender than Advertised

Highlights

• Damian Lillard’s defense with the Bucks has been a positive surprise, boosting the team’s performance.
• Statistical improvements show Lillard is excelling defensively in his new role.
• With Lillard’s solid defense and offensive potential, the Bucks are aiming for championship success.

For years, it was common knowledge that Damian Lillard was one of the worst defenders in the NBA. While his offense more than made up for his turnstile-like resistance on the other end, he very quickly earned a notorious reputation as an easy mark on D. Still, Lillard’s scoring made him a seven-time All-NBA honoree and his Portland Trail Blazers a perennial playoff team.

Between him and his former backcourt mate CJ McCollum, though, it was hard not to wonder if the Blazers’ poor perimeter defense was what kept their core from ever getting over the hump. Now, Portland has moved on to a rebuild, and Lillard has brought his talents to the Milwaukee Bucks in pursuit of a title alongside former champion Giannis Antetokounmpo.

So far, Lillard has shown flashes of the nuclear offensive threat he was in Portland but hasn’t fully realized his historically great scoring yet with the Bucks. Nevertheless, even at 80 percent of his production, his presence has made Milwaukee a much more dangerous team as opposed to last season when they flamed out in the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat.

At 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep, Lillard’s shot might not be falling like he’s used to, but he’s found other ways to help Milwaukee dominate. Surprisingly, one way he’s been positively impacting the Bucks lately has been with his point-of-attack defense.

Damian Lillard Has Turned a Corner on Defense

Bucks Defensive Rating with Lillard On-Court: 113.4, With Lillard Off-Court: 121.4

When watching Lillard through the years, the “eye test” would often suggest that he was a better defender than his reputation stated. At 6’2 with a 6’8 wingspan, he had the size to withstand most opposing point guards in the NBA. He was also blessed with one of the strongest cores and lower bodies in the league, though those gifts were much more apparent on offense.

In spurts, Lillard could slide his feet well, wall off driving ball-handlers, and even generate a few steals with his quick hands. He was especially adept on defense in big moments and against some of his superstar guard counterparts. The problem was that those flashes of defensive competence were few and far between, and became increasingly rare as he got older and had to shoulder more offensive responsibility.

With the Trail Blazers, Lillard had to generate the bulk of his team’s scoring, even more so than most other superstars. His tenure in Portland didn’t include many impressive teammates, and their team success was truly a testament to how far he could carry a team practically single-handedly.

Under Head Coach Terry Stotts — who was at the helm during Lillard’s Blazers days for all but two seasons — Lillard was tasked with not only scoring the majority of his team’s points but also doing it within a very unimaginative offensive system that heavily relied on his ability to create offense off of the dribble and in isolation.

As such, it’s understandable why his defensive effort was so inconsistent and often subpar.

Now, with the Bucks, Lillard can defer on offense when his shot isn’t falling or if he simply needs a breather. With Antetokounmpo by his side, he can put up some of the worst offensive numbers in his career and still possibly break his single-season win record.

Playing alongside Antetokounmpo and the Bucks gives Lillard much more opportunity to conserve his energy on offense and exert more effort on the defensive side of the ball. Some speculated that Lillard might prove to be a better defender than previously believed in his new situation. Those visionaries appear to be correct, so far.

The numbers support the claim that Lillard has been a much-improved defender this season. His -3.4 differential on field goals defended against league average leads the Bucks this year, aside from human-victory torch, Thanasis Antetokounmpo. That puts him ahead of two Defensive Player of the Year candidates in Giannis and Brook Lopez. The infamous “eye test” has said the same:

Lillard’s defensive effort has started to receive recognition around the league, starting with his new head coach Doc Rivers. Rivers took the time to praise his new point guard, who’s tallying over a steal per game this season, and his instincts and reflexes on that end of the court:

“He told me, ‘Coach, I can play defense. It’s just that [in] Portland, I had to do a lot of offense. Now, I can concentrate a little bit on both ends with all these guys’, and he’s doing that… If you put the ball in front of him, Dame has unbelievable hands, and he gets to it.”-Doc Rivers

Can Lillard be a True Two-Way Superstar?

The Milwaukee Bucks are 5-0 since the All-Star Break

Now that Lillard has established that he can hold his own on defense, the Bucks will be hoping that he can retain his effort on that end while returning to the mean on offense. With Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and the rest of their weapons, Milwaukee doesn’t need the Portland version of Lillard — the one who put up over 30 points per game in three separate playoff series.

But, to win it all, they’ll be hoping to get the All-Star who’s shot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc on one of the most difficult shot diets in league history. They’ll certainly be hoping to get a little more “Dame Time” in the playoffs, as they’ll need his tough shot-making and offensive creation in the clutch against postseason defenses.

He seems to be trending in the right direction. Since All-Star Weekend, when he took home his second Three-point Competition victory and All-Star Game MVP, he’s been shooting 39 percent from deep. Perhaps the coaching change and his All-Star honors will bring out the old Lillard on offense. If so, it’ll be hard to beat the Milwaukee Bucks with their new two-way star point guard.