The regular season is over, and preparations are well underway as teams prepare for the playoffs. However, for the Milwaukee Bucks, Stephen A. Smith believes that Damian Lillard might be facing the exit room if things don’t go as planned for them.
He made this known while speaking on ESPN’s First Take alongside co-host Shannon Sharpe. Smith asserted that if the Milwaukee Bucks exit the playoffs in the first round, they should consider trading for Dame.
If Milwaukee loses, I said, I think you need to consider moving Dame up out of there. I'm not talking about his game. He's not happy there. Stephen A. Smith said
Damian Lillard is a talented player, but according to Smith, he is currently dissatisfied with his present situation due to many distractions, not excluding personal matters. His arrival was supposed to complement Giannis Antetokounmpo, and although we’ve seen flashes of brilliance, it’s not exactly gone as planned, as he once admitted.
Furthermore, the addition of Coach Doc Rivers hasn’t brought the optimism the team desperately needed, coupled with how the previous coach, Adrian Griffin, was shown the exit.
And with the Bucks facing a formidable opponent in the Indiana Pacers, a team they’ve lost four out of five games during the regular season, everyone would need to step up, or maybe, according to Smith, Lillard would have to go somewhere where he can get his wish of an NBA title.
Damian Lillard confident of his team’s chances against the Indiana Pacers
Damian Lillard felt confident that the Bucks could surge past the Indiana Pacers’ playoff opponents for their round-one playoff encounter. He made this bold statement after their sad loss against the Orlando Magic in the regular season finale.
I feel good about it. I think the one thing about the playoffs, especially this season, everybody can beat everybody. That's really how I feel about it. Happy that we got home court, and it's a team that we familiar with. Damian Lillard said
Despite his bold statements, both teams have something of a rivalry this season, which the Pacers have dominated so far, including eliminating them from the in-season tournament and the infamous game ball tussle.
This season, Dame clocked out with averages of 24.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 4.4 RPG for the Bucks. However, the Bucks would have to do more than mere talk to overcome the Indiana Pacers, who surely know how to score.
More must-reads: