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"I'm not that concerned by it" - Doc Rivers on Damian Lillard's shooting slump

Doc wants Dame to cut on errors.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Damian Lillard had another rough shooting night when the Milwaukee Bucks succumbed to an embarrassing 110-113 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.

Lillard scored 24 points in the contest, but he was just 7-of-21 from the field and missed 10 of his 13 attempts from three-point range. Dame also air-balled a three-pointer just before the regulation buzzer sounded, denying the Bucks of a chance to force overtime.

Doc got Dame’s back

Coach Doc Rivers is aware of Lillard’s shooting woes, but he is trusting the eight-time All-Star can overcome the slump.

“I think, the month of January, right or whatever, he's struggling from the three a little bit, but I'm not that concerned by it. He didn't forget how to play. We talked about it when I came. He was struggling coming into that, and he still is,” Rivers said.

In Milwaukee’s equally frustrating loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Lillard scored just 16 points on a head-scratching 5-of-14 shooting from the field. He went 2-for-7 in the loss.

“I swear I'm not that concerned about him,” Doc insisted.

Doc wants Dame to minimize errors

On the season, Lillard is averaging 24.6 points per game but is shooting just 42.3 percent from the field and a poor 34 percent from the three-point territory.

While Rivers is not bothered by Dame’s shooting slump, there is one thing that he wants the 12-year veteran to improve on.

“I don't like the turnovers. I will say that we gotta get away from the turnovers,” Doc said.

Lillard is averaging close to three turnovers per game this season. Rough shooting and an erratic game are a recipe for disaster, and Dame needs to fix it quickly as the Bucks limp into the All-Star break after losing seven of their last ten contests.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.