Lillard was identified with deep vein thrombosis in his proper calf, also called a blood clot. He’ll be handled with blood thinners, however these include dangers, particularly elevated bleeding for any minimize or additional damage.
Which means Lillard is out indefinitely, although an unnamed source told Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic that “there may be an excessive amount of optimism that he’ll return this season.”
Even earlier than Lillard’s setback, the Bucks had been 14th in offensive score. Subtracting Lillard and his 24.9 factors per recreation will not assist that, nor will dropping his 7.1 assists, contemplating the Bucks are twenty third in assists already. The Bucks are third in three-point share, however Lillard has accounted for nearly 20 p.c of his workforce’s threes.
It was a part of the gamble of sending a giant bundle of property — Jrue Vacation, Grayson Allen and three first-round picks — to get the then-33-year-old All-Star. Final season, the Bucks completed third within the East, however Lillard missed two playoff video games with an damage, whereas Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the whole first-round sequence loss to the Indiana Pacers.
This season, they’re in fifth, nearly tied with the Detroit Pistons. If the Pistons cross them, that units up a first-round matchup with the third-place New York Knicks, who beat them by 22 factors of their first assembly this season, and by 34 factors in the second. The Bucks face them once more, with out Lillard, on Friday.
They nonetheless have Antetokounmpo, one of many NBA’s greatest gamers. However since profitable all of it in 2021, the Bucks have not received a playoff sequence. In the event that they crash out of the playoffs within the first spherical once more, it is laborious to nonetheless take into account them an elite workforce. Particularly when the core of the workforce subsequent season features a 35-year-old Lillard and Brook Lopez, who turns 37 on April 1.
With few commerce property and two large contracts — Lillard and Antetokounmpo are every receiving $54.1M subsequent season — there may very well be massive modifications this summer season, together with head coach Doc Rivers. Antetokounmpo may even change into obtainable.
The Bucks went all-in with the Lillard commerce. If he cannot play once more this season, Milwaukee could also be all out of choices with this core.
