“Putting My Money on Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo”: Former Clippers Star Picks the Bucks and Celtics as the Likely ECF Matchup

The league is now entering the stage, where experts and fans will have to predict or choose their favourites for the playoffs. Former Clippers star, Lou Williams was recently on the Run It Back Show, where he was asked an interesting question. The show’s host, Michelle Beadle asked who he would like to see against Celtics if they make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

” Let’s just say the Celtics are in the eastern conference finals, who’s more likely to be facing them; Cavs, Bucks, Knicks?”

The Clippers legend did answer this ‘head scratcher’ with an interesting angle. Talking about his take, Lou let his hosts know,

” It’s tough. I think the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing really good basketball. But when we talk about deep playoff runs, when we talk about getting to that level, you need superstar-caliber guys.”

Citing this reason, Lou claimed although Cleveland and the Knicks have that, he would be gambling on Bucks, if he had to.

“I think Cleveland has that, and I think the Knicks have that….would you take a Giannis and Damian Lillard-led team, absolutely….if I am a gambling man, if I am a betting man, I am putting my money on Damian Lillard and Giannis.”

 

“Let’s just say the Celtics are in the eastern conference finals, who’s more likely to be facing them; Cavs, Bucks, Knicks?” @MichelleDBeadle

“I’m putting my money on Dame Lillard and Giannis [Antetokounmpo]” @TeamLou23

: https://t.co/qYBPWhYgh7 pic.twitter.com/fIhenLDG7h

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 12, 2024

Williams, who played 16 years in the league, might know a thing or two about title contention. Being an instrumental player on many of the contending Clipper teams, Williams has faced off against the best, winning sixth man of the year on three different occasions.

From the looks of it, it surely is true that most title-contending team poses at least a single All-Star level player, if not multiple. In recent memory, every Championship team has been building around an All-NBA talent, except being almost absent. From Bill Russell to Nikola Jokic, each team has been anchored around an ‘All-NBA type’ player, with the exception being the 2004 Detroit Pistons.

In today’s past faced, offence-centric league, not having an All-Star level scorer, has almost guaranteed the team’s absence from the playoffs. What started as a phenomenon with the Golden State Warriors, has now taken over the whole league. With the mindset that ” three is more than two”, most teams focus their resources towards ensuring sound offence.

Kendrick Perkins disagrees with Williams

Lou Williams’s recent comments come just after Kendrick Perkins decided to ridicule the Bucks on national television. Talking about the matter on first take, Perkins went off on the Bucks, after they lost to Indiana last Monday. Commenting on the loss, Perkins said,

” No one is fearing the deer. It is deer hunting season right now. It just started about a month and a half ago,”

Perkins would support his claims with logic, as he would talk about Milwaukee’s poor perimeter defence. Talking about it further, the ex-Celtics player said,

“If you have an elite perimeter player, you’re going to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. When you’re looking at facing Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, and Khris Middleton, that’s your starting five. Who’s stopping someone on the perimeter? Nobody,”

Though Milwaukee has godly offensive power, they surely lack presence on the defensive end of the court. With Lopez and Giannis guarding the paint, the perimeter often is wide open for guards to exploit. Guard-heavy teams like Oklahoma and New York often punish the Bucks for their lack of perimeter defence.

 

The 76ers are trading Patrick Beverley to the Bucks, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2024

Since Perkins made his comments about the Bucks, much has changed. The Bucks traded for Patrick Beverly, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. Not only that, Jae Crowder seems to be doing better, with whispers of his return beginning to hit the streets. With these new changes, the Bucks are surely looking more well rounded, and ready to take on the East, one team at a time.