SUMMARY
- Kenyon Martin claims that Damian Lillard has never made his teammates better.
- Martin believes Lillard is used to being the best player on an ineffective team.
The criticism that Damian Lillard has been facing is a matter of interest among members of the basketball community. As most NBA fans should be aware, Lillard spent the majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before finally asking for a trade and being moved to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas conducts a podcast and had other retired players such as Rasheed Wallace and Kenyon Martin appear on a recent episode. In it, they discussed Lillard and his career as a whole. With that being said, a closer look at this subject is required.
Has Damian Lillard excelled as a team player in his NBA career?
Before joining the Milwaukee Bucks, Dame had spent his entire career with the Blazers and was an advocate for not jumping teams and sticking to the grind. While that is certainly admirable, Kenyon Martin opined that Dame has never made any of his teammates better throughout his time with the Blazers. Although Wallace attempted to point out that Dame’s scoring ability opened up things for CJ McCollum, Martin stuck to his stance.
“Dame a hell of a talent who’s proven himself in the league. But if you look at when it get down to it in the playoffs, what has happened? They fell short because it’s all on him and he feels that ‘it’s all on me and Imma take every shot’ and there’s no one else who can thrive in that situation. Even as good as CJ was, he was still limited when Dame was on the floor.”
“Who has Dame [Lillard] made better that’s played with him?”
– Kenyon Martin on Damian Lillard pic.twitter.com/b4rPVwF9f5
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) April 9, 2024
Perhaps Kenyon is making a valid point. Since Lillard is known for being a clutch shooter and scorer, it would be unfair to claim that he made his teammates better or had a team-first playstyle. Considering that Dame is now on a different team, one should wonder if he has made or will be able to make the necessary changes to his playstyle in time.
Will Dame and Giannis figure things out with the Milwaukee Bucks this postseason?
There is no denying that Lillard is under the most pressure that he has faced in his entire career. For the first time in his life, Dame is on a team with enough talent to be a championship contender. Moreover, the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court ensures that Dame is rarely the best player on the team.