The Milwaukee Bucks have had some issues on the defensive end of the court to start the season. It has seen them lose a few games that they should have likely won and has become a real talking point around the team.
Milwaukee has been trying to be better on defense but the collection talent that they have does make things a little challenging. One area is on the perimeter as the Bucks don't have a strong point-of-attack defender any longer.
Star guard Damian Lillard gives them an explosiveness on the offensive end of the floor but his defense remains a work in progress. While Lillard isn't terrible at defense, he has been called a poor defender in the past.
However, Lillard disagreed with this narrative and pushed back on it completely.
“In the last couple years of my career, it’s been something that I’ve taken pride in. I think early in my career, like most young players, especially scoring young players, it’s a learning curve defensively. Not just physically, but when you don’t know terminology, you don’t really know personnel that well, it’s a challenge to be a good defender in the NBA. And as I’ve become more experienced, I think it’s carried on as more of a narrative than actual truth. Guys not just coming out here breaking me off and putting me out there and scoring on me over and over.
“And I also never been a guy that’s… I’m not gon’ shy away from it. You seek me out, Imma come to it and we gon’ do it however we gotta do it. But like I said, I think it’s more of a narrative than anything else. I get my hands on the ball. I’m physical. I’m in the action. So I think that being a stat, just show you I’m not just out there. Sometimes it’s on the ball. Sometimes I’m coming over to help. Just trying to make something happen.”
Lillard has taken a step forward in terms of his defense in recent years but he isn't where the Bucks would love for him to be. Milwaukee moved off of Jrue Holiday for Lillard, a move that drastically hurt their abilities on the defensive side of the court.
But Lillard has been trying to give Milwaukee something and he has gotten better. Lillard is active with his hands to disrupt opposing teams, something he has taken accountability for of late.
If Lillard can even give this Bucks team an average level of defense on the floor, Milwaukee could be a formidable opponent come playoff time.
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