"I’ve been with the Bucks for 11 seasons" - Giannis Antetokounmpo appalled at "insane" attention Damian Lillard gets on-court
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard played together for the first time on Sunday's preseason game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Lakers. The duo spent 15 and 22 minutes on the floor, respectively, and combined for 30 points, with Antetokounmpo scoring 16 and Lillard 14.
The "Greek Freak" was surprised by the Lakers' plan to contain Damian Lillard and their overall defensive approach.
"I’ve been with the Bucks for 11 seasons, I’ve never seen from the first play of the game, somebody’s been double-teamed. It was a surprise," Giannis Antetokounmpo told the media afterwards.
"It’s a preseason game. It’s not a playoff game. It’s not a regular-season game. It’s not in an in-season tournament game or a Play-In games. It’s a preseason game, and he was double-teamed. It’s insane, man."
With both superstars on the floor, the opponents' defense has to take some risks and in that game, the Lakers decided to take the ball away from Lillard and force him to pass.
Heading into the start of the season, it will be interesting to see how teams will form their game plans to limit the superstar duo. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo and Lillard enjoy their partnership on the floor and the benefits it creates for the team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are excited about playing together for the Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted another megastar to join Milwaukee and he is excited that Damian Lillard has arrived at the Bucks. In their first game together, the two-time NBA MVP found a lot of open lanes as a result of the Lakers' defense on Lillard.
"I’ll be very honest with you, I’ve never been this open. And first of all, I’ve never seen anybody been double-teamed from the first possession of the game," Giannis Antetokounmpo said, via The Athletic.
"Every pick-and-roll. They were denying him. When he got the ball in the pick-and-roll, they were blitzing him. And I was rolling and I was just wide open. It’s going to allow me to make more plays for myself going downhill or make plays for my teammates, which is going to be wide-open threes most of the time," Antetokounmpo added.
For his part, Damian Lillard knows that with Giannis on the floor, he will have way more opportunities to create for himself or pass the ball to the "Greek Freak" for a 4-on-3 situation:
"Just having another guy out there that’s just dominant, he can dominate a game and win you a game. So, when we come out first play of the game, first couple plays and they blitz me, they trap me and the guy I’m releasing the ball to is — Giannis (Laughs)," Lillard said, via The Athletic.
"So, I’m just like we can do this all night. You know what I mean? That’s what it was. I was just taking the trap, getting it out. I think it’s everybody enjoys it because we all will benefit from each other being on the floor."
it will be interesting to see how teams will attempt to contain the two superstars and what opportunities this plan will create for the Bucks' offense. For the time being, though, there is a lot of excitement in Milwaukee for what the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard partnership can bring to the floor for the team.