The Milwaukee Bucks’ high hopes took a hit Friday night in a 133-122 shocker against the Chicago Bulls, and Damian Lillard wasn’t holding back. In a brutally honest post-game assessment, Lillard pointed directly at the Bucks’ defensive breakdowns, raising tough questions about Milwaukee’s contender status just two games into the season.
“We came into the game knowing they want to shoot more threes,” Lillard said, clearly frustrated. “They got this guy, this guy, this guy, and this guy that can shoot. And we closed short. We didn’t help each other. We didn’t rotate sometimes.” He continued, describing how fundamental missteps, like late switches and poor close-outs, repeatedly left Chicago wide open. “A couple of times, guys going downhill, we see the back of their jersey… There’s no way a big is going to get back to that.”
For the Bucks, expected to dominate alongside a newly formed Lillard-Giannis duo, Friday’s game was a gut check. With Giannis and Lillard, Milwaukee was predicted to power through teams like Chicago, a squad still deep in a roster overhaul. But instead, the Bucks looked lost on defense, disconnected, and lacking the intensity and cohesion needed to close out shooters and control the pace. The loss brought back memories of last season’s inconsistency that haunted them in the playoffs.
This defeat might be a wake-up call for Doc Rivers, who stepped into a high-stakes season with a Bucks team intent on proving its mettle in the Eastern Conference. While Lillard’s arrival promised a fresh start, he isn’t afraid to spotlight the urgency of the team’s flaws. Milwaukee fans might take comfort in the fact that there are 80 more games to right the ship, but if these breakdowns continue, the honeymoon phase for this superstar pairing could be short-lived.
The true test for the Bucks will be how they bounce back. Random losses happen, but if Lillard’s message sinks in, we’ll soon find out if Milwaukee has what it takes to contend or if bigger changes are on the horizon.
