The ugly reality is that the Portland Trail Blazers are unlikely to compete for a title next season almost no matter what happens this summer. General manager Joe Cronin and the front office are expected to be very aggressive in seeking roster upgrades before 2022-23, but Portland lacks both the team-building assets and incumbent talent needed to level up to true contention overnight.
Either way, rest assured that Damian Lillard will do all he can to help his team improve. He's already on record as planning to recruit free agents and prospective trade targets to Rip City over the coming months. Unfortunately for Lillard, though, there surely isn't anything he could do to convince the one player who could most help him achieve his ultimate goal of winning a championship to play for the Blazers.
Reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, after all, has a pretty good thing going with the defending-champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis https://t.co/x44aDOW4XM
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 15, 2022
It's hardly shocking that Lillard would pinpoint the two-time MVP as the current player who'd help him most on basketball's biggest stage.
Antetokounmpo is a dominant two-way force—the likes of which basketball has never seen. He's equally destructive playing both power forward and center, and has an argument as the best offensive and defensive player in the NBA. Antetokounmpo's game isn't perfect, but it doesn't need to be for him to continue emerging as the undisputed best player in the world.
Lillard seems to know that already. It may be only a matter of time until the basketball world at large reaches that same conclusion.
Follow Us
Subscribe