Bucks/Pacers Lead-up - Dame Cleared for Practice

[Baddy Chuck]

Just let Kuzma play hard-nosed defense on Siakam and hack the **** out of him until he fouls out, win-win?

[soxperry]

Just let Kuzma play hard-nosed defense on Siakam and hack the **** out of him until he fouls out, win-win?

Love it

[Baddy Chuck]

Just some matchup numbers from this season for the hell of it.

[ReginaldDwight]

If you think the Bucks, with this current roster, if healthy, have a shot to beat anybody in a series -- you are 100% correct.

I said it a few weeks ago, but I'll say it again: if our squad is healthy, we have a legit shot at the whole thing as long as Doctor Rivers doesn't try to outcoach himself. Sometimes I wonder if you guys forget how good #34 can be.

Helps to have the best player. Not sure how people can forget this. Maybe cause he hasn't been healthy the past few years.

[ShootingtheJ]

I'm happy for Dame, he's been through too much the last few years.

I'm also happy for some of my favorite Bucks posters here that have become overly dark and cynical this season. They were so pessimistic about the Dame issue that they repeatedly tried to convince me that his career was over and he'd need to retire, even though he didn't have a pulmonary embolism.

I hope this good news snaps them out of their doldrums.

[skbucks1985]

I was looking up how Dame has played after long absences and I'd known that up until the last few years he'd been very durable, I didn't realize quite how durable. This is going to be the longest in-season injury/absence he's had in his career and still returned that season. A few years ago he played only 29 games, but he was out in December and missed the remainder of the season. I figured at some point he would've had a high ankle sprain or something like that and been out 6 weeks, but he's never been out for more than 2 weeks and returned that same season.

[PG Graveyard]

Thinking about a healthy playoff lineup gave me deep vein throbosis.

You should quit your day job and become a full time real gm poster

[FlagsFlyForever]

This is almost as shocking as the Doncic trade, because a few days ago they shifted to say 40% of the clot still existed.

I'm happy for the news, but there have been multiple positive reports recently. For example, here is a video I shared on Monday where Shams says the Bucks expect Dame to be cleared this week.

viewtopic.php?p=118026592#p118026592

[raferfenix]

Optimists win!

The alternative timeline where Dame’s done like Bosh is way dark.

[kanyon]

Didn't Teletovic have this too?

[Shaffty]

I'm guessing they are targeting game 3, still 8 days from now.

you think they start him with a minutes limit?

Good question. This isn't something that can be reinjured. But his conditioning won't be 100%, especially for the playoffs. I can't see him playing 35+ straight off.

more importantly, when he was on blood thinners its not like he could get on the bike or still do cardio. He had to be legit shut down for 3+ weeks

[MickeyDavis]

Many/most of us were dubious about Dame after the b.s. we went through with Giannis last year. And it ended up he didn't return to the court until 7 weeks after the Bucks season ended. The pessimism about Dame returning for the playoffs was warranted imo.

[Dick Tate]

I get the pessimism. It was the flat out "he's not coming back" or "Doc is a liar" that took it too far, imo.

[drew881]

I'm happy for Dame, he's been through too much the last few years.

I'm also happy for some of my favorite Bucks posters here that have become overly dark and cynical this season. They were so pessimistic about the Dame issue that they repeatedly tried to convince me that his career was over and he'd need to retire, even though he didn't have a pulmonary embolism.

I hope this good news snaps them out of their doldrums.

Those posters are one step ahead of you and complaining that Dame will take KPJ’s minutes.

[midranger]

Wrap your minds around it; we’re winning it all.

[RiotPunch]

Wrap your minds around it; we’re winning it all.

[Bucksmaniac]

Wrap your minds around it; we’re winning it all.

It certainly does seem like we have a lot of guys and instances of playing through adversity and conquering, can only be a positive to have faced these and now be able to just play.

[MickeyDavis]

Lots of optimism here. Me too. A game 1 loss will bring the board back down to normal. But seriously, one series at a time and you never know.

[fan230]

Very happy that Dame is coming back. I feel that he might play in game 2 also.

Doc has an outsized role to play. Giannis as pg has worked tremendously well. So what do we do now? The pace was fast and Giannis passed very well to shooter who shot well.

But Dame is a superstar. Without him we could not really hope to beat the Pacers. How do we weave him in, best? That is Doc’s massive challenge.

My general feeling is that say for half the game Doc should go with Giannis as point and for the other half Dame should play the point. Something like that if not exactly so. Kpj needs a lot of minutes as pg too.

Dame is slow to bring up the ball but he commits few turnovers. Maybe the slower pace will work well against the very quick Pacers team.

Again, the lineup choice across the 4 quarters would be crucial and thus Doc has this huge responsibility.

[ShootingtheJ]

I'm happy for Dame, he's been through too much the last few years.

I'm also happy for some of my favorite Bucks posters here that have become overly dark and cynical this season. They were so pessimistic about the Dame issue that they repeatedly tried to convince me that his career was over and he'd need to retire, even though he didn't have a pulmonary embolism.

I hope this good news snaps them out of their doldrums.

Those posters are one step ahead of you and complaining that Dame will take KPJ’s minutes.

He better not take KPJs minutes