The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 134-106 on Monday night. After the outing, Blazers star Damian Lillard got very honest about his team’s odds of winning the NBA title are given how they are currently playing.
“If we are the defensive team that we’ve been so far this season, then we don’t have a chance to win the championship,” Lillard said, per Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“Right now, we aren’t a championship team, because you don’t have a chance being one of the bottom teams defensively, and that’s just the reality of the situation. And I’m aware of that.”
It’s hard to quibble with Lillard’s take. Portland is an absolutely atrocious defensive team. Currently, the Blazers rank second-to-last behind the Sacramento Kings in defensive rating. They also rank 27th in defensive rebounding and 26th in threes allowed, assists allowed, total rebounds allowed, and points allowed.
That is not a recipe for success.
Courtside Karen has a message for LeBron’s wife. https://t.co/6gZYiQYVOb
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 2, 2021
Lillard’s bluntness shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. He has never been one to bite his tongue – sometimes to his own detriment.
He kept it real when Conor McGregor got owned by Dustin Poirier. He was extremely honest about the Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason. And of course he didn’t hold back when it came to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Lillard’s honesty as it pertains to things that effect both him and others is a refreshing quality and one of the big reasons he remains so popular among NBA fans.
Related: Gordon Hayward’s Shoes Are Randomly Nicer Than LeBron’s
