It Unfortunately Looks Like Damian Lillard Tore His Achilles, And That Absolutely Stinks

Stacy Revere. Getty Images.

The second you saw Damian Lillard hit the deck on a non-contact move and grab his leg, we all knew what that meant. Whenever something like that happens, it almost always leads to the same thing, a devastating achilles injury. While we wait for the official diagnosis, that sure is what it feels like we're dealing with here

Whenever we see someone go down like this, it doesn't matter who your favorite team is. Watching guys get hurt absolutely stinks. When that player is also a star? When that star fought like hell to come back from a scary blood clot situation just to be ready for the playoffs and be there for his team/fanbase? Brutal. That's what makes it sting even worse. The Basketball Gods can be cruel sometimes, and this is one of those moments. I don't even like the Bucks and my heart hurts seeing that shit. I know injuries are a part of sports and we see stuff like this happen all the time, but that doesn't mean it's not depressing as shit.

And while it was always going to be a longshot for the Bucks to win their series against the Pacers, coming off that huge Game 3 win, at least there was a path. Having a healthy Dame was obviously a huge part of that plan, so once he went down, it's no surprise the Pacers pulled away, and now that series is pretty much over. Facing a 3-1 hole with no Dame, I'm not sure even Giannis and his heroics can pull this series out. Maybe push it to 6 if they're lucky? 

Unfortunately, the question now becomes, what next? Achilles injuries are no joke, especially with an older player. You have to think this is going to keep Dame out close to a year. What do the Bucks do? He has 2/112M left on his current deal, but you're most likely not getting much of Dame's 35 year old season. That means the next time we see Dame, he may be a 36 year old coming off an Achilles who is on an expiring contract. If the Bucks lose this series, how do they reload? They have virtually no assets. A guy that maybe they would have thought of moving in Dame is now cooked. Kyle Kuzma isn't bringing back shit, nor is KPJ. What can you realistically expect in return for an aging Bobby Portis or Brook Lopez? Probably not what you need to get back into contention. 

Which means ALL the smoke is going to be surrounding Giannis and his future. Do the Bucks bite the bullet, move Giannis for a HAUL, wait on Dame's rehab, and build that way? That feels like a stretch, but so was the idea that Luka Doncic would ever be traded. This is a team with no cap space, no assets, and an aging roster. That's bleak as hell considering everyone else around them in the East continues to get better. This whole plan was built around Dame/Giannis, and unfortunately, we never really got to see it. That's what makes winning in the NBA so hard. It's not done on paper. 

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This just goes to show you're always just one misstep away from everything drastically changing. There's a world where Dame was great last night, the Bucks tie things up 2-2 and we have an awesome series on our hands. Now? Now the Bucks might have to blow things up and trade their franchise legend. That's how quickly things can change. It sucks, but that's reality.