The Milwaukee Bucks seemed like they’d found their footing when they handed the Jazz a blowout loss and ended their six-game skid. Unfortunately, the celebrations were short-lived as the New York Knicks handed them a massive 94-116 loss at Madison Square Garden.
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Damian Lillard didn’t react well to the loss. During the postgame interview, he complimented the new-looking Knicks but then suddenly dismissed them, claiming they’re not like the 2010 Heat following their acquisition of LeBron James.
“They’re a good team. I mean, it ain’t like we went in there and played against the Heat when LeBron went there. They made some changes. They were a good team last year. They’re a good team this year,” Lillard said.
Damian Lillard after losing to the #Knicks: “They’re a good team. I mean, it ain’t like we went in there and played against the Heat when LeBron went there. They made some changes. They were a good team last year. They’re a good team this year.”
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) November 9, 2024
Lillard’s assessment of the Knicks, following their blockbuster trade, is fair. The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns is a great move for the franchise but not as impactful as James’ move to Miami. The Heat instantly became one of the best teams in the league and would go on to win two championships in a four-year stint. On the other hand, the New York side is not as formidable and neither is the franchise touted to emerge victorious in the East over the Celtics.
That being said, there wasn’t any need for the sharpshooter to pass such a snarky backhanded compliment. His statement comparing the two teams is abrupt and unnecessary, only making Lillard come off as bitter for tonight’s loss.
The star guard should be worried about his team’s horrendous 2-7 start to the season instead of subtly mocking the Knicks for not being as good as the ‘Heatles’ were.
The Bucks’ Lillard-Antetokounmpo two-man game hasn’t been thriving
The two Bucks stars have been recording great numbers. Through the first nine games of the season, Dame and Giannis have combined for 57.4 points per game. Sadly, a majority of these points come from fastbreak opportunities and isolation plays.
The two have barely been successful when utilizing pick-and-rolls or other two-man plays. This indicates that neither are on the same page nor do they have decent on-court chemistry. Fortunately, the Bucks aren’t oblivious or choosing to ignore the problem. They are accepting the issue and have spoken about taking active steps to fix it.
“It’s a lot more natural. Last year, everyone was like, ‘Oh, they gotta play two-man.’ In practice, it was so scripted, so much pressure on what we were supposed to do. But with time and reps, and getting to know each other, now we’re having a lot of communication,” Lillard said following the Bucks’ win on Thursday night.
Lillard rightly acknowledges that their two-man game won’t be perfected overnight. However, with the team currently sitting second-last in the East, he and his All-Star counterpart can’t afford to take too long to work out the issues if they want a real shot at the playoffs.
