George Karl boldly questions Damian Lillard’s playoff prowess: “Holiday might be better”

Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach George Karl believes Jrue Holiday might be better in the playoffs than Damian Lillard. Karl was replying to a question from SiriusXM NBA Radio when he made the statement. Damian Lillard was traded to the Bucks in a blockbuster deal, which included moving Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Karl coached 27 seasons in the league, including 1,175 regular-season victories and 22 playoff appearances. He had a successful tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1998-2003. The Bucks had not made a playoff appearance in seven years before he arrived there. He helped them rebuild and made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons.

Speaking on the Lillard-Holiday trade the Hall of Fame coach said:

“I think Lillard probably makes them more exciting, more explosive. But to be honest with you, in the playoffs, Holiday might be better than Lillard.”

Karl explained his sentiments saying:

"The intangibles that Holiday brings to the game, that's what wins playoff games. the little things. The defensive ability to move around and cover different players. And I think you can give Holiday some credit. He became a pretty good offensive player last year."

How the Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday swap impacts the Bucks

Jrue Holiday was acquired by the Bucks in November 2020 in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Holiday's defense was supposed to get the Bucks over the hump and contend for an NBA championship led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The move worked spectacularly, as Holiday played a key role in the Bucks’ 2021 championship run. Holiday's steals, deflections and defensive stops were crucial to the Bucks' NBA title.

Despite Giannis being one of the most dominant players in the league, the Bucks struggled with inconsistent shooting in the past three playoff runs. They received a gut punch in 2023 when they were eliminated from the postseason by the Miami Heat in the first round. The team's starting backcourt of Holiday and Grayson Allen are now both gone and in comes Damian Lillard to help right the ship.

Damian Lillard is one of the best scorers in the league, and he will be joining the NBA's best defensive team. While they will be taking a step back from Holiday's defense, Milwaukee would be looking for Lillard to offset that with this offensive game.

Lillard averaged 32.2 points last season. He is a constant threat from the arc, is able to create his own shot and get downhill against any defensive rotations. The gravity he attracts from opposing players, particularly in the pick-and-rolls, will free up attacking lanes for Antetokounmpo and company. The Bucks are currently the favorite to clinch the 2023-24 NBA title.