• Damian Lillard has been wanting to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo for a while
• Lillard told GQ Sports in 2022 that Giannis would be the perfect teammate for him to win a title
• The Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks earlier today
Damian Lillard will be on the Milwaukee Bucks next season after the Blazers complete a blockbuster three-team deal that got them Deandre Ayton from the Suns in the deal.
Lillard will former a superstar duo with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a player he openly said would be the ideal teammate to win a championship in 2022.
“I would pick Giannis. I would say the dominance, somebody that’s going to get to the rim. He’s a good playmaker. Good defender. Disruptive, and the way he plays complements the way I play. I would bring something to the table that complements what he does and vice versa. Seamless.
“I would pick Giannis.”
Last year, Damian Lillard was asked who could help him win a championship, and he chose the Greek Freak 👀
(via @GQSports)pic.twitter.com/zofZfSCy4l
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 27, 2023
Lillard spent the entire summer agitating for a trade to the Miami Heat but had quietly added the Bucks and Nets to his trade list. Despite reported attempts by the Toronto Raptors, Lillard finds himself in a destination he wanted with the Bucks. He and Giannis will arguably be one of the most unstoppable one-two punches in the NBA, making the Bucks a terrifying team in the East.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Drafted Damian Lillard Over Jrue Holiday In The 2023 All-Star Draft
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been an All-Star captain three times with the new draft format and was known for using his first pick on any teammate that has been named an All-Star with him. He broke that trend last year when he didn’t select Jrue Holiday with his first pick and went for Lillard instead, an involuntary moment of foreshadowing as the Bucks now trade Holiday for Lillard.
We knew Giannis was a big Dame fan pic.twitter.com/onmJ5TF6Pi
— David Astramskas (@redapples) September 27, 2023
Holiday averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists last season and was integral to the team’s 2021 championship. Despite his desire to remain with the Bucks, the two-way point guard will be wearing a Blazers jersey tentatively.
Given his contract is expiring, the Blazers could keep him to mentor Scoot Henderson. However, his talent could fetch some strong assets for the Blazers, as Holiday will be a popular option for many of the title contenders in the NBA.
Giannis Antetoounmpo And Damian Lillard Are The Scariest Duo In The NBA
When we look at the top duos in the NBA, it’s hard to say anyone can rival Giannis and Dame on that front. LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be the answer, but their scoring punch won’t be as lethal as Dame and Giannis. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are comparable, but I would still go with Dame and Giannis due to the better fit they have with each other.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists last season while Giannis averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. We have never seen a 30-point scorer get traded to a team with another 30-point scorer. Their pick-and-roll is going to be lethal, but a change in ethos is coming for the Bucks. They won their title and were the No. 1 seed last year based on their defensive principles. Holiday was a big part of that and they also lost backup Grayson Allen in the deal.
Giannis will need to find the DPOY version of him once again and let Lillard be the primary option on offense. Along with a healthy Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez coming off the best defensive season of his career, the Milwaukee Bucks look ready to avenge their embarrassing first-round exit from last year by adding a future Hall of Famer.
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