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The Milwaukee Bucks are now considered the favorites to win the NBA championship this season after they shocked the league by landing Damian Lillard on Wednesday.
All the talk had been that Lillard was explicit in his desire to be traded to the Miami Heat, and that the Toronto Raptors may have been best positioned to obtain the seven-time All-Star.
In the end, Lillard was sent to Milwaukee in a three-team trade that saw them give up two-way star Jrue Holiday and key reserve guard Grayson Allen.
While many are drooling over the Bucks’ potential with Lillard, Patrick Beverley feels the departure of Holiday will have an impact.
Losing Jrue is Big. That’s all imma say
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) September 27, 2023
While Wednesday’s trade has to undoubtedly be considered a win for the Bucks, the reality is that Holiday is a player they may miss at times.
The point guard is an outstanding defender who has made the All-Defensive First or Second Team five times in the last six seasons.
He was the missing piece for Milwaukee when they finally broke through and won the NBA title during the 2020-21 season.
While Lillard may not be a horrible defender, he also isn’t that good on that end of the floor, although his immense scoring ability (he averaged a career-high 32.2 points a game last season) will give the Bucks a huge shot in the arm.
They will also be losing another solid defender in Allen, not to mention an important bench piece.
Still, with Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton, as well as a few of the other core pieces from their 2021 championship team, Milwaukee now has no excuses, barring serious injury, to not win it all.
The post Patrick Beverley Says The Bucks Suffered A Big Loss appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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