Speaking on the ‘Knuckleheads’ podcast, Bucks point guard Damian Lillard opened up on his partnership with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He explained the need for accountability and an open line of communication between him and the 2x MVP.
“Me and him gotta be able to hold each other accountable,” said Lillard. “And I don’t mean yellin’ at each other all the time, just mean like I gotta be able to say somethin’ to you. And you gotta be able to say somethin’ to me at all times. He’s always had to put his foot down in Milwaukee and kind of lead the charge and be kind of like the man to push it forward. And I’ve always been that way in Portland. And I think now that we together, we both gotta look over and say, ‘This a top-75 player, too.’ And I gotta trust him to carry this with me. I think we both got to do that. After that, we got a shot. We got a shot.”
Before coming together, Lillard and Giannis were each leading their own team and had a lot of success doing it. They were a dream pairing together for their contrasting playstyles and when Lillard was traded in 2023, the Bucks were projected to be among the best teams in the league.
Last season, in their first campaign together, Lillard and Giannis failed to get any traction, and former head coach Adrian Griffin was fired before All-Star weekend. Amid injuries and poor chemistry on the court, the Bucks fell to 3rd in the East with just 49 wins all season. They lost in the first round to the 6th-seeded Indiana Pacers.
Coming into this season, the Bucks had a to more going for them. Lillard was finally free of distractions, Giannis was healthy again, and Doc Rivers had a full summer to instill his full game plan. So far, however, it hasn’t been good enough.
The Bucks are 1-3 this season and coming off a brutal loss against the Boston Celtics. Lillard and Giannis combined for 63 points and still somehow lost by double digits (119-108). Despite the change from Griffin to Rivers, the Bucks’ defense really hasn’t improved much since the Lillard trade and their scoring is not currently good enough to make up the difference.
In particular, the duo of Giannis and Dame has been underwhelming and they need to fix it fast so that they can turn things around this season. If they hold each other accountable like Lillard said it will go a long way toward establishing the kind of relationship that every championship duo needs.
Right now, it’s clear that Lillard and Giannis don’t talk much outside the locker room and that does not bode well for their chances of success together. For this to work at all, Lillard and Antetokounmpo must be on the same page and their chemistry must be strong to lead the team in a positive direction.
With averages of 28.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game on 47.1% shooting, Damian Lillard is clearly still capable of putting up big numbers. But until he finds a way to fit with Giannis, his impact on the floor will always be limited next to the 2x MVP.
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