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The new-look Milwaukee Bucks will now be led by two major stars in Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
How the duo works together will be one of the most discussed topics during the early stages of the 2023-24 campaign, but Lillard told reporters Wednesday he just wants Antetokounmpo to continue doing his thing.
“I don’t want [Giannis] to not be himself… Don’t worry about me,” Lillard said. “… I said that to him and he said the same thing to me. ‘Don’t worry about me, just do what you do. Be Dame.'”
Lillard added: “They’re not gonna allow [Giannis] to come downhill and just dunk every time… Which one are you gonna do? Are you gonna clog up the paint or are you gonna allow me to make 9 threes?”
Antetokounmpo, for his part, is excited to share the court with Lillard this season.
“It’s a blessing to have opportunity to play with a guy like that,” Antetokounmpo told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “A guy that is built from the same cloth as you. A guy that is a killer. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s been good for so many years in the league, dominating the league and having a guy that you can go to war every single day that wants it as bad as you want. It is always a good feeling.”
The Bucks acquired Lillard in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and they are now considered the team to beat in the Eastern Conference as he and Antetokounmpo will be one of the most difficult duos to guard in the NBA this season.
There is frequent discussion about which duo is the best in the league, and the Dame-Giannis combination will likely enter the top of that conversation this season as they aim to win a title together.
The biggest threat to Milwaukee’s success is the Boston Celtics, which have made many roster alterations of their own this offseason.
Boston acquired Kristaps Porziņģis from the Washington Wizards in the three-team trade that sent longtime point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. It also acquired Jrue Holiday from the Trail Blazers after he was included in Milwaukee’s Lillard deal.
Porziņģis and Holiday will join a star-studded starting lineup that also includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
That said, only time will tell which team prevails in the Eastern Conference arms race, and Lillard will be working hard to make sure the Bucks claim the conference crown and get back to the NBA Finals.
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