Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Damian Lillard (0) head to the bench on a timer out against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
Much was expected of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023-24 NBA season after they acquired one of the greatest guards ever in the history of the league in the form of Damian Lillard. But his first season with the Bucks alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo did not as smoothly as everyone dreamed it would.
The stylistic differences of Lillard and Antetokounmpo as two offensive powerhouses made it a challenge for the Bucks. But Antetokounmpo is convinced that he and Lillard are now both ready to make it work, as Milwaukee gets ready for Year 2 of the Dame-Greek Freak duo.
“I think now we’re in a very, very good place,” Antetokounmpo said. “Before, we never had a player like him. It’s just something that slowly, slowly with time you understand. It’s definitely hard when I’m 29 and he’s 34 at this moment of our careers to kind of change the habits you’ve created, but if you want to win, you have to do so. I think we both — me, him and the rest of our team — are willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
Mar 24, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
In the 2023-24 NBA season, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30.4 points on 61.1 percent shooting from the floor while Lillard was second on the team with 23.3 points per contest, albeit on just 42.4 percent success rate from the floor. The Bucks are hoping for better efficiency from Lillard this coming season, and that is partly contingent on how he and Antetokounmpo will play off of each other.
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