NBA MVP Betting: Can Damian Lillard Find New Heights in Milwaukee?

Unfortunately for the Pacific Northwest, they just lost one of their most beloved athletes of the modern era.

Notably, over the final weekend of September 2023, seven-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard was traded in a blockbuster three-team deal from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks. The explosive point guard will leave Rip City as the Blazers' all-time qualified leader in points per game (25.2) and total three-pointers made (2,387). It is the end of an era ...

Still, Lillard had recently began to express competitive frustrations with the on-court situations in Oregon, requesting a trade from Portland after the most recent season.

Following a long, warm summer where many experts speculated "Dame D.O.L.L.A." would be moved to the Miami Heat or Toronto Raptors, Lillard now joins NBA champion and two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in Cream City. Forget about Central Daylight Time for awhile, Wisconsin; it's "Dame Time!"

For those wondering, the Bucks currently show as joint-favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the NBA Finals (+380 odds).

Of course, Lillard has had quite a decorated career on the hardwood, but -- unlike Giannis -- Dame has never won an NBA MVP award. In new surroundings some 2,000 miles away (and now in the Eastern Conference), can Lillard reach higher than ever this season? At FanDuel Sportsbook, Lillard's 2023-24 NBA MVP odds yield a price of 30-to-1. That's tied for 10th-best with Anthony Davis.

Dame for MVP is certainly a topic worth exploring. Let's glance through some of his best attributes and his current playing situation -- along with what sort of effort it might take for Lillard reach the top.

All NBA odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Solid To The Core

Hailing from the basketball hotbed of Oakland, California (like Naismith Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton), Lillard has always played the game with well-rounded production and fierce work ethic. Through 11 seasons (769 career contests) as a member of the Blazers, Dame compiled 25.2 points per game (PPG) behind 37.2% shooting from beyond the arc, averaging 6.7 assists per game (APG) and 1.0 steals per game.

Admittedly, Lillard's most prevalent issue over the past two years has been rather simple -- injuries. Last season, he missed 24 games while Portland fell short of the playoffs for the second-consecutive campaign. Of course, Lillard's year was riddled by lower body (calf) ailments. The season prior (2021-22), he logged just 29 appearances while dealing with an abdominal injury.

Even while battling his own physicality, Dame has done well to continually improve as a faciltator throughout his NBA tenure. His first seven seasons saw him produce 6.36 APG. Over his last four years, that clip has increased to 7.6. I think that figure can keep increasing as he joins an explosive group on the western shores of Lake Michigan.

Now in a fresh situation, will "Logo" Lillard return to true form? At 33 years old, he joins a group in Milwaukee that is certainly ready to contend. Let's not forget that the Bucks won it all as recently as the 2021-22 season. Simply, they were the last team from the Eastern Conference to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The Next Episode

First things first -- the Bucks recently moved on from Mike Budenholzer in lieu of new head coach Adrian Griffin. Weirdly enough, Milwaukee had increased their regular season win totals in each campaign since winning the NBA Finals, but their playoff performances reciprocated in the wrong direction. The Bucks were eliminated in the Eastern Semis in 2022 prior to losing in the opening round last season. Naturally, Lillard will bring an added veteran and scoring presence that Milwaukee needs.

In 2022-23, the Bucks averaged 116.9 points per game (eighth-best) while playing with NBA's 10th-highest pace (100.3). When factoring in Lillard's athleticism and shooting abilities (37.1% from 3-pt last year), Milwaukee has an outside chance to be the top scoring side of all 30 teams. Along with Antetokounmpo, Dame joins a talented bunch that features Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis.

The Bucks obviously have enough firepower to return to the promised land, and a run like that could absolutely warrant MVP consideration for Lillard. If Milwaukee hits the upcoming season with more defensive intensity, increased accountability and propelled scoring, many might look to Dame as the perpetuator of a culture change.

How Does Lillard Get There?

Transparently, a guard has not been named league MVP since James Harden in the 2017-18 season. In the time following, the big men have been on a heater in this market. Centers Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have accounted for the past three awards. Prior to that, Giannis earned back-to-back NBA MVPs.

As you might imagine, Lillard's new teammate Antetokounmpo is the only player on Milwaukee with shorter 2023-24 NBA MVP odds (+550, best of any Eastern Conference player) than him. That could present a challenge for Dame in this market, but in a way, it could also provide a boost if the team is clearly improved.

In Harden's lone MVP season, he outputted 30.4 PPG while averaging 8.8 APG. The Houston Rockets compiled a 65-17 record that year to earn the West's number-one seed. Even with Lillard at age 33, I think he is still capable of production like that -- especially with increased talent flanking him in Milwaukee.

It seems fans of all teams are interested to see the fit with Dame and the Bucks. Of course, Lillard is arguably entering a season with the best supporting cast he's had to date. Milwaukee went an NBA-best 58-24 (.707) last year. Through 11 campaigns in Portland, Lillard's Blazers never performed better than 54-28 (.659) in a single season.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.