Damian Lillard might be ready to come back to the Milwaukee Bucks, but Danny Green thinks there is cause for concern.
The Milwaukee Bucks are just a few hours away from kicking off their 2025 playoff run, as they take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to emulate LeBron James from the 2000s. Even Bill Simmons believes Giannis is more LeBron-esque than any other East player.
Milwaukee will be without some key stars to start the series tonight. The good news for the Milwaukee Bucks is that they will have Damian Lillard back later in the series.
But former NBA champion Danny Green believes just the return of Lillard isn’t going to be enough to propel their championship odds.
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Danny Green spoke on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday about Damian Lillard’s return to the Bucks. He noted that while Lillard is an excellent player, his return won’t be enough to help the Bucks.
Gree claimed that the Bucks have several problems, not just with Lillard’s absence, but with other stars like Bobby Portis coming back into form.
“Not enough. Dame is back too late. He’s gonna be rusty… Bobby Portis is rusty, the chemistry is gonna be off.”
“I just don’t see Milwaukee picking it up at this point in the season and trying to win a series like that.”
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The fact that Lillard is returning so quickly right after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in itself is a big deal.
But these types of situations can provide not just a physical boost to a team on the court, but also a mental boost.
Having one of their most important teammates return after a devastating, potentially career-threatening injury could spur the Bucks on to a first-round victory against the Pacers.
Of course, this is all based on an emotional response from the rest of the Bucks rather than current form. But sometimes, that can be all a team needs.
