NBA Insider Reveals Big Reason Bucks' Damian Lillard Absence Won't Doom Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are ready to go into the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs and defeat their Eastern Conference rival, the Indiana Pacers. While Milwaukee has proven dominant over Indiana in the regular season, they will be missing one of their best weapons in this series.

All-Star Guard Damian Lillard is currently out with deep vein thrombosis. There is no definitive timeline for his return, with some saying he could potentially return against the Pacers.

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard (blood clot) will miss the start of the NBA playoffs, sources tell ESPN. Bucks play Game 1 of the first round against the Pacers on Saturday. Lillard has been sidelined since March 18, and doctors continue to monitor progress for clearance. pic.twitter.com/W8CqbSt3G1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2025

This season, Lillard has averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 total rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 58 games.

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Needless to say, not having Lillard is a major loss for the Bucks. However, that doesn't mean that they're doomed.

During an appearance on The Kevin O'Connor Show, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic weighed in on Milwaukee missing Lillard, specifically how it doesn't mean that the Bucks are done.

"I don't think it's a series killer," Baraheni said. "Obviously, Dame is a huge part of what the Bucks do. But I do think that they can pose some challenges for the Pacers regardless, just because Giannis is Giannis."

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"There's not really anybody on the Pacers that can guard Giannis in any significant way, so Indiana is gonna have to send tons of bodies and then it's on the Bucks' shooters. Can AJ Green knock down 40 percent of his looks? Can Gary Trent Jr. knock down 40 percent of his looks?"

One day at a time. 💪 pic.twitter.com/zVcvqniUg9
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 16, 2025

"Obviously, Dame would have helped in that regard, too. I think if Dame played, I would be mroe confident in the Bucks winning this series. No Dame makes it so that I lean Indiana, but I would not be surprised if the Bucks, just because of an incredible Giannis playoff series, end up pulling off the upset."

In the end, the Pacers' biggest dilemma when facing the Bucks doesn't change whether they have Lillard or not. In the end, it's going to come down to how well they are able to contain the two-time NBA MVP. And that is no easy feat.

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For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI.