"Lot for me to fight through" - Damian Lillard gets real about Bucks' debut stint flopping amid divorce battle

Damian Lillard’s challenging season, to say the least, came to an end on Thursday as the Milwaukee Bucks were crushed 120-98 by the Indiana Pacers. Lillard returned after missing Game 4 and 5 with an Achilles injury to lead the desperate Bucks. Even with “Dame Time” on the roster, Indiana just had too much to steadily pull away until it became a rout versus Milwaukee.

The 2023-24 season ended in disappointment for the superstar point guard after forcing his way out of Portland in the offseason. Lillard wanted to compete for a championship, something that the rebuilding Blazers could not give him. Instead of sending him to the Miami Heat, the team the eight-time All-Star reportedly wanted, he was shipped to Milwaukee.

Even before arriving in Milwaukee, Damian Lillard expressed his excitement to get a decent shot at the championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Things, however, did not go as planned as the Bucks couldn’t even make it out of the first round against their lower-seeded opponent.

After the game, 2013 Rookie of the Year was asked to describe his first season away from Rip City and playing with the Bucks:

“It was a roller coaster of a year. … It was a lot for me to fight through but I take a lot of pride in standing tall when things don’t go as planned or how I would like them to go. … I never made excuses.”

Damian Lillard discussed how tough it was to be traded late in the offseason and how Milwaukee’s coaching change midway through the campaign made it tougher. He added how it took time to adjust to playing for a new organization and alongside his new teammates. Finally, he alluded to the ongoing legal battles involving his family that probably took more out of him than basketball.

A few days after he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, news came out that Lillard had filed for divorce from his estranged wife Kay’La Lillard. The divorce has been anything but amicable as his former longtime sweetheart has accused him of several eye-opening allegations.

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A healthy Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will remain a force

Doc Rivers, who replaced Adrian Griffin as coach, will likely stay. A few more months under Rivers should help Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks adjust to his coaching style. It seemed like everyone was playing catch-up when the former Philadelphia 76ers play-caller was hired.

Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, AJ Green, Marjon Beauchamp and Andre Jackson Jr. are still under contract. Rivers and his players don’t have to start from scratch when the 2024-25 training camp starts.

After uprooting himself out of Portland to be in Milwaukee, Damian Lillard’s adjustments will not be as tough in his second year. If he and Giannis Antetokounmpo can be healthy, especially for the playoffs, they will still be a tough team to beat.