Including Damian Lillard, even with the lack of Jrue Vacation, does certainly elevate the Bucks’ possibilities of successful championships.
The Bucks gained all of it in 2021 with one of the crucial defense-forward squads because the Detroit Pistons 2004 workforce. They’ve maintained many of the key items of that workforce, together with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez. Since that point, Giannis has not solely continued to be the #1 defensively ranked in-season participant, however the supporting solid has stayed as impactful. Even Brook Lopez, at 35 years of age, nonetheless had the Sixth-best defensive rating within the NBA final season.
No, protection wasn’t the issue, and even with out Vacation, it gained’t be the issue. In actual fact, not solely have been the Bucks the 4th-best defensive workforce final season, however they have been the Sixth-best offensive workforce. That is nonetheless a championship-pedigree workforce. The issue with final yr—why the Bucks went from successful all of it to an embarrassing first-round exit—was an absence of clutch. They didn’t present up within the playoffs.
In walks Dame Lillard…
Listed here are 3 ways Dame makes this Milwaukee Bucks workforce higher subsequent season: