After the Milwaukee Bucks’ nightmare 2-8 start to the season, rumors emerged of dysfunction within the franchise. However, those have quickly dissipated as they have won 12 of their last 15 games. They’ve also climbed to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, and sit only two games behind the third-placed Orlando Magic. Their latest win, a comfortable 110-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks, saw them book their berth in the NBA Cup final. Their turnaround has been stunning to witness, and Draymond Green believes Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard deserve all the credit.
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On The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors forward raved about the superstar duo. He lauded them for steadying the Bucks’ ship after a rocky start to the campaign. He said,
“You gotta put trust in those guys. Let them be great at what they’re great at. The reason they are who they are is because of what they’re great at… They’ve been winning games and if you are watching it’s because Dame [Lillard]’s playing good, and Giannis is playing good. Everybody else is filling in and doing their roles, but those two guys are being the stars that they are and it’s changed the season around.”
Green also praised the Bucks’ much-maligned coaching duo of Doc Rivers and Darvin Ham. He added that their adjustments from game to game have gotten the best out of the team. Green noted that Rivers and Ham’s tactical tweaks have done wonders for Lillard and Antetokounmpo, who have turned the Bucks into a force to be reckoned with.
Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are putting it together
When the guard was traded to the Bucks, the common consensus was that he and the Greek Freak would be the new Shaq and Kobe. The comparison was perfect. An elite guard with exceptional playmaking and scoring ability paired with an unstoppable force in the paint. How could it fail? Well, it did.
Lillard struggled to settle in Milwaukee due to injuries and personal life crises, while Antetokounmpo carried the team until his calf buckled under the weight. The result? A 49-33 record after a 30-13 start and a first-round playoff exit.
A new season brought renewed belief. A full training camp without distractions for Lillard, an entire summer for midseason hire Doc Rivers to chart a plan of action, and a healthy Antetokounmpo meant the Bucks came into the campaign full of hope. They were dashed quickly.
Ten games in, they were 2-8 and looked worse than last season. To make matters worse, Lillard picked up an injury and was expected to miss a few games. Many believed that Milwaukee would crater and Antetokounmpo would demand a trade.
But the Greek Freak had other ideas. He locked in and helped the Bucks win two of their next three games without the superstar guard. When Lillard returned, he looked like the player Milwaukee thought they were getting from Portland.
Over his last 12 games, he has been exceptional. In that span, the guard has averaged 25.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 4.4 rebounds and the Bucks are 10-2. Antetokounmpo has been even better. Since that win in Toronto without Lillard that turned the season around, the two-time MVP has averaged 33.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and two blocks.
For a brief period, it felt that Lillard and Antetokounmpo were the 2004 version of Shaq and Kobe, who couldn’t get along and were on the verge of a breakup. However, they are now like the Shaq and Kobe of 2000, ready to take over the NBA.
It’s a bit premature to declare the Bucks legitimate title contenders. However, if Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo continue in the same vein, only the bravest would bet against them.
