Giannis Antetokounmpo has always been confident in his abilities, but now, he’s making it clear that he believes he and Damian Lillard form the best duo in the NBA. After a recent game, Giannis addressed the media, expressing his frustration with the ongoing narrative that he and Lillard haven’t been able to figure things out together. In his eyes, the numbers speak for themselves.
Reporter: “How do you think that two-man game has gotten better, because like when they made the trade, you look at his skill set, your skill set and you think okay, this is like a match made in heaven. How has it gotten better, have you guys gotten more comfortable?”
Giannis Antetokounmpo: “I’ll be very honest with you, I’m not following the NBA as much as I should be following probably, but is there a higher scoring duel than me and Dame in the league? So guys, what are we even talking about?”
“I feel like people have created this narrative that me and Dame are not working together, but nobody’s doing it better than me and him right now. At the end of the day, we were able to play some competitive games early in the season against the best teams in the NBA, and we were able to win the NBA Cup.”
“Since then, obviously, we’ve had some ups and downs throughout the season, but we’ve been playing good basketball overall, I’d say. I believe with time, things will always improve.”
“The first day that somebody comes in, it’s not going to work perfectly. Me and Khris were together for 12 years—that’s why we were able to connect with our eyes closed, basically.”
“With Dame, the connection that I have with Dame in year two—and the year is not even over yet—is better than the connection I had with Khris in year two. You know, we play off one another, we understand that we have to lead the team, we understand that we have to close the game, we understand that we have to lean on one another.”
“I know his skill set is different than my skill set, but at the end of the day, in order for us to win, we have to lean on one another. And this is what we will be doing this year.”
“We will be leaning on one another, we will be trusting our skill set, we’ve been trusting one another, we’ve been trusting our teammates, and we’ve done a better job empowering our teammates.”
“At the end of the day, we’re both mature enough—he’s 34, I’m 30—to understand we’re just here to win. We’re not here for personal accolades, we’ve done that. He’s top 75, I’m top 75. We’ve done that. We want to create a winning mentality, a winning culture, and we want to win. That’s it.”
There were high expectations when the Milwaukee Bucks paired Giannis with Lillard, and while there have been ups and downs throughout the season, Giannis is adamant that their chemistry has only improved.
He pointed out that building a strong connection takes time, citing how long it took him to develop seamless chemistry with Khris Middleton.
Statistically, the duo backs up Giannis’ claims. He is averaging 30.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting a remarkable 60.6% from the field. Meanwhile, Lillard is putting up 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting 44.7% from the field and 38.0% from three-point range.
Their combined offensive output ranks the best in the league, and they have been instrumental in keeping the Bucks competitive in a highly competitive Eastern Conference.
Despite their strong numbers, Milwaukee sits fourth in the East with a 34-25 record. The team has shown flashes of dominance, including winning the inaugural NBA Cup, but consistency has been an issue.
Currently ranked 10th in defensive rating, 12th in offensive rating, and 10th in net rating, the Bucks have addressed some of the defensive issues that plagued them last season, but they still have work to do.
A key difference this season is the presence of Doc Rivers for a full campaign. Rivers took over midway through last season, and now, with a complete year to implement his system, he will be hoping for greater postseason success.
Injuries derailed the Bucks’ playoff hopes last season, with Giannis getting hurt just before the postseason and Lillard suffering an injury in the first round against the Indiana Pacers. Ensuring both stars are healthy this time around will be critical.
As long as Giannis and Lillard stay on the floor, Milwaukee will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Additionally, the acquisition of Kyle Kuzma, who replaced Khris Middleton, gives the Bucks another versatile weapon. If everything clicks at the right time, Giannis and Dame could prove they are, indeed, the best duo in the NBA.
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