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After sitting out the first two games of the preseason, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will play together for the first time Sunday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported.
Both players are veterans who will likely be subject to some form of load management over the course of the season, but it is important for the Bucks to get their two stars on the court together as soon (and as much) as possible.
Milwaukee acquired Lillard from Portland in September.
This is the first time in either player’s career that they’ll have a teammate who is truly on their level. Antetokounmpo and Lillard ranked first and fifth in the NBA, respectively, in usage percentage last season. While Lillard is a capable passer, both players are accustomed to dominating the ball and being their team’s primary scoring option.
For Bucks coach Adrian Griffin to maximize the production of both stars, they’ll need to learn to coexist on the floor. They must learn to be OK with ceding personal numbers when the other is dominating.
According to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, this is something the two are already working on.
“It was one of the reasons why, when I did get traded, I was extremely excited,” Lillard said. “I told my agent I was extremely excited because I want to win. So coming into a situation with a guy as dominant as he is, he wants to win too. I think we’re very like-minded when it comes to being a teammate and being unselfish and just doing whatever is necessary.”
While it seems both Lillard and Giannis have the right mentality to succeed together, the two will still need game action to acclimate to each other. If they are able to put aside their egos, they have the potential to become the most prolific scoring pairing in the NBA.
