The Ringer’s NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor believes the Miami Heat with Damian Lillard will still not match up to their Eastern Conference rivals, the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on his podcast Beyond The Arc With Kevin O’Connor, the latter had a rather bold take:
“Whereas if it’s a team like Utah Jazz or the San Antonio Spurs, who Ramona Shelburne keeps saying, that Dame is fascinated by the Spurs, he’s got a relationship with Gregg Popovich. He loves Wembanyama. The younger teams like the Jazz or the Spurs can make one or two moves and still have a great young core.”
He added: “Maybe I am playing a little devil’s advocate here, but I just don’t know if the Miami Heat is actually going to be better than the Celtics or the Bucks next year in the eastern conference even with Damian Lillard.”
“I just don’t know if the Miami Heat are actually going to be better than the Celtics or the Bucks next year in the eastern conference even with Damian Lillard.”
– @KevinOConnorNBA
(Via @FanDuelTV )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2023
This comes as a stark contrast to reports of teams in the East actually being scared of the Heat forming a potential ‘Big 3’ with Lillard alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
There is no doubt that the Heat will be a powerhouse with Lillard on the side. And given his intent to play with Miami, there will be that added motivation to perform in a team that he wanted to play for.
The Celtics Are One Of The Many Teams Gunning For Damian Lillard
Earlier, NBA analyst Chris Haynes reported that multiple teams were keen on adding Damian Lillard to their ranks.
“Clippers, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Pelicans are all among teams “to reach out” about a potential Damian Lillard trade,” he said.
Lillard has already garnered a lot of interest from different teams apart from the Miami Heat. Previous reports have suggested the Brooklyn Nets have an active interest in bringing the guard to their fold.
It all depends on how Lillard feels, and given the constant headlines that are doing the rounds around the 32-year-old, the Heat looks like the most likely landing spot for the guard.
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