The Milwaukee Bucks just received a massive blow to their season after the latest injury news on Damian Lillard. According to league insider Chris Haynes, the Bucks point guard is set to miss an indefinite period of time as he seeks treatment for deep vein thrombosis.
“Breaking: Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf, league sources tell me,” wrote Haynes.
Lillard, 34, is the second player this season to be diagnosed with blood clots. The first was Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who was shut down for the season with deep vein thrombosis back in February. Victor was having a career year before being sidelined without warning.
Back in 2015, Chris Bosh suffered a pulmonary embolism, which led to blood clots that ultimately shut down his career. Bosh was looking forward to playing for several more years, but he had to cut his career short in a tragic and unfortunate situation.
Damian Lillard is now the latest to join this group, but many details are still unknown at this time. Lillard, 34, has been placed on blood thinners, which have stabilized the clot, but no timetable has been set for a possible return.
The Giannis-Lillard era was supposed to usher in a golden age for the Bucks, but it’s been nothing but disappointing so far ever since they were brought together. Last season, with both players healthy, the Bucks lost in the first round after finishing with a 49-33 record.
In the 2024-25 campaign, the Bucks haven’t been much better. They are fifth in the East at 40-31 with major problems on both ends of the floor. Without their secondary star and leading point guard, there’s practically no chance for the Bucks to salvage this season.
At the very least, it will likely be weeks before Lillard is cleared to play, and it could be months depending on the speed of the recovery process. With the NBA season in its final stages, it means that Lillard is set to miss the rest of the regular season and likely into the playoffs as well. To say it’s a huge blow to Milwaukee’s title ambitions would be an understatement.
With averages of 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game on 44.8% shooting this season, Dame has been essential to the Bucks’ success, and they were banking on his shooting and leadership to help them make a run in the playoffs.
While Lillard still has a chance to return, the Bucks need to find a way to win without him, and these next few weeks will tell us a lot about what they’re able to do without him.
The only hope of salvation for Milwaukee is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is already averaging 30.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game this season. If he can somehow elevate his game to another level, he may be able to carry the Bucks to a shocking upset in the East.
Ultimately, only time will tell how it plays out this season, but the Bucks are long removed from their previous title run. Without Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton to stabilize the defense, the Bucks will have to outscore their opponents, and that’s going to be a lot harder to do without Damian Lillard on the floor.
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