As the NBA regular season comes to an end, the teams and players have become the focus of heated discussions among fans and the media. Among the many stars, Damian Lillard's name stands out. Lillard, a former core player for the Portland Trail Blazers, didn't seem to have lived up to expectations after his move to the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming one of the most disappointing superstars of the season.
Last season, Lillard averaged 32.2 points per game for the Trail Blazers and was the team's scoring weapon. However, after moving to the Bucks, his scoring average dropped to 24.4 points per game and his shooting percentage also dropped. According to statistics, Lillard's effective shooting percentage is just 51 percent, which ranks 261st in the league. The true shooting percentage is also only 59%, ranking 132nd in the league. The decline in these statistics has undoubtedly called into question Lillard's ability to score efficiently.
Lillard's sluggish performance not only affected his personal reputation, but also negatively impacted the overall competitiveness of the Bucks. Lillard also didn't perform as well as he could have in a couple of key games in the closing stages of the season, with no more than 16 points against the Magic, Celtics and Thunder, in stark contrast to his crunch time during his time with the Trail Blazers.
Still, Lillard was touted by the league. Not only was he named to the Top 75 Superstars, but he also became an All-Star starter in the East and won the three-point contest. However, those accolades don't seem to match his performance in the regular season. Especially with the Bucks, Lillard's high salary and inefficient performance have become a big burden for the team. According to the modeling calculations of the American media "BR", the Bucks won only 49.5% of the first round of the playoffs against the Pacers, which is the lowest among the top four teams in the top half of the conference.
Faced with such a situation, the future of the Bucks is full of uncertainty. Lillard has four years left on his contract and a total value of $216 million, which is undoubtedly a huge challenge for the Bucks' salary space and team building. At the same time, Rivers Sr.'s coaching ability has also been questioned, and whether the Bucks need to find a new head coach to lead the team to success has also become a question worth considering.
In this case, the Bucks need to think deeply about the future of the team. Whether they should continue to build a team around Lillard, or find a new direction, will be a tough decision.