Is Damian Lillard playing tonight against Oklahoma City Thunder? Latest injury update from the Milwaukee Bucks (17th October)
Damian Lillard's Milwaukee Bucks debut came against the Los Angeles Lakers last week, and the newly minted point guard for the side had a decent outing, propping up 14 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in his 22 minutes as the Bucks beat LA 108-97. After sitting out in the first two preseason games, Lillard shared the floor for the first time with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
As the Bucks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday (October 17), all eyes will be on the seven-time All-Star to see how he fares as the regular season inches closer.
There is no injury update as per the team report and Lillard is likely to start for the Bucks as head coach Adrian Griffin will look to ramp up the minutes and try new lineups featuring the star guard.
Milwaukee plays the Memphis Grizzlies again in their last preseason matchup, and it's safe to say that Lillard will be part of both games as he looks to shake off the summer rust.
Giannis Antetokounmpo sounds a warning gong to the other franchises about Damian Lillard's impact
Having spent all of his career with the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played against Damian Lillard, knew what the 32-year-old was capable of, and he outlined how the former Blazers star would be a threat to the opposition.
According to Basketball Forever, the 'Greek Freak' was left spellbound when he saw Lillard in action from close quarters during his debut against the Lakers.
“He’s a threat, like … coming down from the half court, he’s already a threat, and I’ve never played with a guy like that. I hope I can make the game easy for him, as much as he makes it easier for me and for our team.
Damian Lillard is coming off his final season with Portland, where he averaged a healthy 32.2 points per game on 46.3% shooting, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 58 games. But despite his big numbers, the Blazers failed to make the postseason.
The move to Milwaukee makes the Bucks a powerhouse in the East and a bona fide title contender. While a lot cannot be made out of preseason games, it will be interesting to see how the Lillard-Antetokounmpo chemistry crackles over the course of the regular season. With the team making its intent to focus more on offense clear by adding Lillard, expect the Bucks to be more relentless on that end of the floor.