Damian Lillard Goes Down with Non Contact Leg Injury

[SleepingHero]

@ChrisBHaynes


There is fear that Damian Lillard has torn his Achilles

[SleepingHero]

https://streamable.com/8dhwx3

[FireNicoHarrison]

Body issues and conditioning..
Trade him for Robert Horry and a FRP.

[Chicagojk]

Sucks for Dame. May be 37 before he returns. Sucks for the Bucks too. Their window may have already been closed, but now it is slammed close. You hold on to Giannis until he says he wants out. But I think that eventually comes.

Quick questions:


1) If you are the Lakers, do you wish you would have waited for Giannis this summer? I guess only 1 GM is dumb enough to trade his star for .50 on the dollar though.

2) I wonder if Nico wonders if he should have waited to sign Luka to super max and then move him for Giannis at some time. Although, not sure the Bucks would want to switch a star in Giannis for a star in LUka if they were not a contender. What about a three team trade though where the Bucks are left with a ton of picks?

[SleepingHero]

@ShamsCharania
Just in: Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, sources tell ESPN. MRI today revealed the severity. A devastating end to his season.

[SleepingHero]

That has to be the end of his career doesn’t it?

[Chicagojk]

That has to be the end of his career doesn’t it?

I think he will rehab to come back.   The next two years he makes 54 and 58.   Most of that will be rehab time.  That is rough.   

I think his time as an all star will be done, but I am sure he does not want to go out this way.   He was probably close to being finished as an all star without the injury.  It was also tough to see him being one of your top two players for a championship run also.

[khaled1987]

That has to be the end of his career doesn’t it?

He will obviously stay and collect his money, but yes. At most I don't see him more than a vet minimum guy trying to fet a roster spot in a contender. 

Sad tbh.

[SleepingHero]

I think he will rehab to come back.   The next two years he makes 54 and 58.   Most of that will be rehab time.  That is rough.   

I think his time as an all star will be done, but I am sure he does not want to go out this way.   He was probably close to being finished as an all star without the injury.  It was also tough to see him being one of your top two players for a championship run also.

Yeah I don't think he's giving up any bit of that extension money. But I think his ceiling of being "Dame" is about to be 15ppg guy with bad defense. And he's going to get almost 60 mil for that. 

He's probably the most untradeable contract in the league aside from Beal now.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

That has to be the end of his career doesn’t it?

Nope. Klay tore his Achilles and had ACL knee surgery, missed 2 1/2 years and he came back. Obviously, he's not as effective or the same player as before, but he's back.

[SleepingHero]

Nope. Klay tore his Achilles and had ACL knee surgery, missed 2 1/2 years and he came back. Obviously, he's not as effective or the same player as before, but he's back.

Two completely different players and ages.

Klay tore his achilles at 30 years old. Lillard is 5 years older at the time of this injury. He probably won't return to court until he's 36 given the timing of when he had this injury. 

How many small guards are effective at 36 years old? Especially ones coming off an achilles injury? 

Klay never really relied on athleticism for any part of his game and he's a bigger dude. Lillard's lethal shooting ability means he will still be a solid offensive threat, but he won't be able to get by anyone. He's never been good at creating for others either. He'll be relegated to a spot up shooter like Klay has. And at 6'2 on a good day, that's not a good spot for him to be in. 

Lastly, Klay's defensive ability has always been better at Lillard. That is another major reason why he is still playable. 

I'm not saying Lillard won't come back and play, but being-able-to-play and being playable are two different things.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Klay is a spot up shooter, Dame is a dynamic PG... Completely different situation.

Lillard is done at high level just live Kyrie.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Two completely different players and ages.

Klay tore his achilles at 30 years old. Lillard is 5 years older at the time of this injury. He probably won't return to court until he's 36 given the timing of when he had this injury. 

How many small guards are effective at 36 years old? Especially ones coming off an achilles injury? 

Klay never really relied on athleticism for any part of his game and he's a bigger dude. Lillard's lethal shooting ability means he will still be a solid offensive threat, but he won't be able to get by anyone. He's never been good at creating for others either. He'll be relegated to a spot up shooter like Klay has. And at 6'2 on a good day, that's not a good spot for him to be in. 

Lastly, Klay's defensive ability has always been better at Lillard. That is another major reason why he is still playable. 

I'm not saying Lillard won't come back and play, but being-able-to-play and being playable are two different things.

All fair points, but that wasn't the question. The question was, is his career over?

[Dahlsim]

All fair points, but that wasn't the question. The question was, is his career over?

You would have to define career over.  Maybe technically over and effectively over are not the same thing. 

He may well still be playing just on the basis of his contract but effectively could be a guard that would not be playing in the league if not for the guarantees of his contract (and his name).