After superstar Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, many suggested that the team is the favorite to win the championship next season. After all, he is now teammates with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is considered the best power forward in the league.
Recently, we saw Lillard share his first impressions of playing with Antetokounmpo when speaking with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, claiming that the pairing is a cheat code.
“So, it’s just different because it was like, that’s a cheat code. To just be able to throw a ball up and have somebody be coordinated enough to hold his guy off, go up, catch it, come down on balance, go up and no dribble, no step and dunk it, you know, over people. So, I mean, it’s … it’s definitely different, man.”
There is no doubt that Lillard has never played with a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. Having a dominant big man on the court with him will give him more room to operate, and Lillard can provide a lot of spacing for Antetokounmpop with his shooting as well.
This past season, Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. It will be interesting to see how his production will be affected by Lillard’s presence, but even if his numbers are slightly lower, Antetokounmpo will be an MVP candidate next season.
Damian Lillard Will Have The Ball More Than Giannis Antetokounmpo Next Season
Both Lillard and Antetokounmpo are veterans who prioritize winning at the highest level. In fact, it seems as though Antetokounmpo is willing to take a step back to accommodate Lillard. Previously, Antetokounmpo revealed that Lillard will have the ball more than him on the Bucks.
“For me, now, I’m 28. I’m not a kid no more,” Antetokounmpo said. “You cannot have — obviously, you have to have friendly competition within your team to try to push one another and to be great and be better prepared for the game — but this is not, in no shape or form, any competition between me and him, who’s going to have the ball more. He will have the ball more and I trust, I believe he’s going to find me and not just me, he’s going to find our teammates and put us in the right position.”
Thus far, it seems as though Lillard and Antetokounmpo are doing everything to make their partnership work. Hopefully, we see them win a championship together going forward, and the Bucks have enough overall talent for that to happen.
Giannis Antetokounmpo And Damian Lillard Will Make Their Preseason Debut Against The Los Angeles Lakers
Bucks fans won’t have to wait much longer to watch their superstar duo play together. Coach Adrian Griffin revealed that Lillard and Antetokounmpo will make their debut together against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, and many will be excited to see a first glimpse of their partnership.
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said on NBA Today just now that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame Lillard will make their debut together in Milwaukee’s preseason game against the Lakers in L.A. on Sunday.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 11, 2023
The two superstars are unlikely to play big minutes against the Lakers, as preseason is generally used by starters to get into rhythm. However, we will certainly see how Griffin plans to use the two players together in those limited minutes.
In theory, Antetokounmpo and Lillard should seamlessly transition to playing together due to their well-fitting skill sets. We will see how they end up doing against the Lakers later this week.
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