It was only a few minutes, less than they would both like and need, but it was enough time to verify that the transfer might have been successful. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo They shared the court for the first time since the point guard arrived Milwaukee Bucks in a game against an NBA team, in this case the Los Angeles Lakers. The new hot pair in the league left a lot of good feelings in their debut, even helping in a 108-97 victory at the Crypto.com Arena.
It may seem the opposite, but the union of Dame and John has raised many doubts. The varied nature of their profiles, both on a technical and personal level, as well as the moments each of them are going through in their careers, call us to be cautious when wondering how they will fare.
However, the details they left together in this first game suggest that this adaptation process will be faster than expected.
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How was the debut of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the preseason?
They both started over as expected and it wasn’t long before they were trying to find each other.
With Lillard he found the Greek as a base Position quickly, a place where they connected in most cases in the race. Giannis took advantage of the small opposition shown by Anthony Davis and scored with great ease in the first half.
In the meantime, yes Give me, the Lakers They had prepared one for him strategy further aggressive than one would expect given that it was his meeting preseason. For every direct block the Angels got, they dropped one two against oneso Lillard had to find other released teammates instead of starting to attack the rim.
However, it is worth highlighting one aspect that will be fundamental throughout the season. Due to Antetokounmpo’s physical presence, it was quite common for the Greek’s defenses to cause misses, turnovers, or himself to make a block. That’s where Lillard comes into his own, recovering the ball and quickly putting it up the other court to score points in transition.
Or for John himself as in this work.
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Although the low post game was the most common situation between Giannis and Lillard, Adrian Griffin also arranged plays that resulted in a direct blocking between the two.
The Lakers’ defensive adherence to the manager limited the point guard more than expected, which led to missed threes off the dribble along with some very difficult drives to the rim. Still, both stars showed signs that they could create a very interesting relationship in this two-on-two game, especially if Antetokounmpo slows his decline down the stretch.
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After the break, Giannis didn’t step on the court again, while Lillard played a handful of extra minutes. This rotation without the Greek allowed the point guard to play more of his style, increasing the tempo and making the Bucks a more dynamic team.
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What did Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo say after their debut?
Damian Lillard
“Right now our personalities and playing styles go hand in hand. It’s obvious in training and when we play together. But we have to give ourselves some time. You have to have some experience to really know. There may come a time when John will have to make me angry about something. Something has to happen for you to really begin to learn who we are and how we come together. Obviously, this will take time.”
John Antetokounmpo
“I’ve never played with someone like that. I hope I can make the game as easy for him as he makes it for me and our team. I’ve never been this open in the last five to seven years. First of all, I’ve never seen no one to have a trap from the first possession of the game.”
“I don’t think I can ever get mad at Dame. I think what he brings to the game is so much. What he does for this team is so much that you can never get mad at him. Being out there creates a great attention. It makes our game easier.”
“He’s like a little version of me, he’s the grassroots version. He’s calm, he takes care of his stuff and he takes care of his family. He shows up, trains really hard and helps his teammates. When he needs to talk, he does. When he doesn’t want to” To speak, it doesn’t say much. When the game starts, he’s just a killer. I’m happy to have this guy on my side.”
