Following a great NBA All-Star weekend, Damian Lillard spoke with TNT’s Inside the NBA crew. While the NBA three-point shootout winner was widely praised, Lillard, who also won the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player title, received some sound advise.
Shaquille O’Neal, a Hall of Famer and former NBA great, was frank about the current status of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he directly addressed Lillard, referring to the team’s star combo.
“You and Giannis (Antetokounmpo), you’re being too nice,” O’Neal said Lillard. “If things don’t work out, three people will be blamed: Doc [Rivers], you, and Giannis.” So you and Giannis must ensure that the troops complete their tasks. With Doc there, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be 3-7… So, when you return, you’ll have to grab some individuals by the necks and say, ‘Hey, this is what I need you to do.'”
The Bucks have been a heated subject in the first half of the NBA season after firing head coach Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 record. At the time, they were ranked second in the Eastern Conference. The squad then hired Rivers to take over, and they have gone 3-7 since then.
While the Bucks have just dropped to third in the East, their margin of error has shrunk dramatically. Milwaukee is now only 1.5 games ahead of the New York Knicks and 2 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers in the standings.
If things do not improve immediately, it would not be surprising if one of the following three teams in striking distance made a move as well. The Indiana Pacers are four games behind the Bucks, with the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic trailing by only 4.5 games.
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