Yesterday, Bali time, Damian Lillard, the leading scorer of the Portland Trail Blazers, announced that he would miss the game against the Utah Jazz.
Lillard said it was a personal affair that was not disclosed. This sudden news has caused speculation and concern among fans.
Now, Lillard, as a player with a high salary, few teams can afford his contract. This also makes his trading market relatively narrow.
Although Lillard's offensive prowess has improved since joining the Milwaukee Bucks, the team's defensive efficiency has declined.
For the Bucks, trading Eric Bledsoe's Holiday and some future draft picks in exchange for Lillard could be a failed attempt.
Because it takes time to adapt to a new team, but it seems that Lillard is not fully adapting to the Bucks' system at the moment. For the team's core brother, Lillard's departure made him despair.
Since he and the Bucks have signed a long-term contract, seeing Lillard may leave the team at this time has made Antetokounmpo suspicious. The Bucks are also hoping to renew his contract, but there is no obvious move from team management at the moment.
This has fans worried about the future, as Lillard's departure could affect the overall strength of the team. If Lillard can't improve his performance, the Bucks could face a losing season and the age of their core players.
Time is running out, and the Bucks must find a suitable solution to the team's dilemma as soon as possible. In the case of Lillard, as a top scorer, the team is quite dependent.
However, in recent games, his performance has not met the expectations of the fans. The reason may be personal reasons that affect the player's form, but whatever the reason, the team must find a way to help him regain his form.
At the same time, the Bucks' head coach and team management also need to look at the existing tactics and team structure. Find out what's wrong and fix it as soon as possible.
After all, as a strong team, their goal is to compete for a championship, not just a playoff spot. Although the current situation is not optimistic, the Bucks are still a team with quality and talent.
As long as they can remain united and positive in the face of difficulties, they can hopefully usher in a turnaround. Whether it's through mutual motivation among players, or by adjusting tactics and lineups, the Bucks have a certain opportunity to regain their strength.