Damian Lillard admits 1 surprising Bucks player has caught his eye

Oct 2, 2023; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) poses for a picture during media day in Milwaukee. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Damian Lillard now has a ton of proven veterans — and Giannis Antetokounmpo — around him. But one Milwaukee Bucks youngster has intrigued the All-Star guard the most since moving to his new team.

Lillard was asked by The Athletic’s Eric Nehm about the player that has “stood out” most in the early stages of Bucks training camp. Dame’s answer? MarJon Beauchamp.

“I would say MarJon,” Lillard said of his new Bucks teammate.

“Since I’ve been here, just seeing him, he’s a big guard. Tall, long, athletic. He can score the ball. He’s competitive. And that just kind of jumped out to me. Just watching him, like man, I just didn’t know, you know what I’m saying? Just seeing the kind of potential that he has.”

Lillard stated that it was not his first time seeing Beauchamp play. However, he had yet to really observe the second-year wing up close prior to Bucks training camp.

At 6’7″ with a 7-foot wingspan, Beauchamp has the ideal size and length of an NBA wing defender. He also projects to be a better shooter than his 33.1% rookie season shooting clip showed from beyond the arc.

It’s not surprising to hear that Lillard hasn’t gotten a great look at Beauchamp given that the Bucks only played the Portland Trail Blazers twice last season. The 22-year-old received less than 19 total playing minutes and Lillard did not even suit up for one of the two contests.

The Bucks are still searching for the fifth starter to plug in next to Lillard, Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez. Perhaps, Lillard’s endorsement of Beauchamp could help the sophomore land the big promotion.