Setting aside all the fanfare that greeted him upon arrival, much was made about Damian Lillard’s first season in Milwaukee. National voices judged his integration as something of a failure, ignoring context. Some Bucks fans were even dismissing him after not even half a season in hunter green. The online dialogue around him and his game was toxic, punctuated by some frankly asinine takes that crossed the line.
To be fair to Lillard, he had a lot working against him last year. Joining a new team mere days before training camp, forgoing a typical offseason of workouts as he protected his body from a value-tanking injury after requesting a trade from the Trail Blazers, a divorce, separation from his children, et cetera.