(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
For about the last decade, Damian Lillard has been one of the NBA’s best guards, especially in big games and whenever a contest is on the line.
He has career averages of 25.1 points and 6.7 assists a game, and although his efficiency is down in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks, he’s still putting up 24.5 points and 7.0 assists per game.
But former NBA player Kenyon Martin had some harsh words for Lillard when he said the eight-time All-Star doesn’t make his teammates better, not even a sharpshooter such as CJ McCollum or a two-time MVP like Giannis Antetokounmpo, per “Gil’s Arena” via NBACentral.
Kenyon Martin doesn’t believe Damian Lillard makes his teammates better
“Who has Dame made better that’s played with him?”
( @GilsArenaShow )pic.twitter.com/NyluAsTdls
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 9, 2024
To be fair, making teammates better is at least somewhat of a misnomer, and what a facilitating guard such as Lillard really needs to do is make the game easier for his teammates and maximize their abilities.
When Lillard was traded to Milwaukee last summer, many were picking them to at least reach the NBA Finals, but they have underachieved and have had trouble sustaining any momentum this season.
They’re in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 47-31 record, which is disappointing considering they have an outstanding talent in Lillard and much of the cast that won the world championship three years ago.
The Bucks’ struggles likely aren’t totally Lillard’s fault — they have struggled defensively all season, ranking 19th in defensive rating after finishing ninth in that category during the 2020-21 season.
The hope is that Lillard will turn it on and make playoff time “Dame Time,” and if he does, they should have at least a puncher’s chance of going all the way.
The post Former Player Says Bucks Star Doesn’t Make Teammates Better appeared first on The Cold Wire.