Dave McMenamin, ESPN Body of workers Essayist
LOS ANGELES — It didn’t pluck lengthy for Giannis Antetokounmpo to understand simply how other age could be for him enjoying along seven-time All-Big name Damian Lillard in comparison to the left-overs of his 11-year NBA profession.
It used to be all however one ownership into the pair’s first preseason contest in combination Sunday towards the Los Angeles Lakers when issues changed into crystal cloudless for the two-time MVP.
“I’ll be very honest,” Antetokounmpo mentioned then the Dollars’ 108-97 win, “I’ve never been this open. And first of all, I’ve never seen anybody being double-teamed from the first possession of the game.”
Lillard, obtained via the Dollars as a part of a three-team do business in with the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers terminating moment, mentioned that pairing with a participant like Antetokounmpo made the Lakers’ defensive schemes simple to digest.
“Having another guy out there that’s just dominant,” Lillard mentioned then Antetokounmpo scored 16 issues in quarter-hour on 7-for-10 taking pictures. “He can dominate a game and win you a game. … First couple plays, they blitz me, they trap me and the guy that I’m releasing the ball to is Giannis. So I’m just like, ‘Uh, we can do this all night.’ You know what I mean?”
The duo formally logged their partnership within the scorebook halfway during the first quarter when Lillard stole the ball from Lakers middle Christian Wood and accelerated courtroom, handing over a bullet of a go to rack up an lend a hand on an Antetokounmpo transition dunk. Lillard didn’t effort his first shot till the after ownership, with 6:24 too much within the first, when he were given fouled via D’Angelo Russell past the 3-point sequence.
They ran pick-and-roll in combination within the part courtroom. Every so often Lillard treated the ball and Antetokounmpo prepared the display screen; every now and then the jobs have been reversed and Lillard old his 6-foot-2, 195-pound body to spring the Dollars famous person.
“We’re going to have a lot of options,” Lillard mentioned. “There’s going to be times where he’s willing to make the play to me, and vice versa, as we saw today.”
Milwaukee held a 56-53 govern on the part when Dollars educator Adrian Griffin gave Antetokounmpo the left-overs of the night time off. Lillard completed with 14 issues on 3-for-10 taking pictures, together with going 6-for-6 on distant throws, and added 4 steals and 3 assists. He began the second one part, giving him a prospect to keep an eye on the motion with out Antetokounmpo at the flooring, earlier than resting within the fourth quarter.
As restricted because the get dressed practice session would possibly were, with Antetokounmpo and Lillard after all sharing the courtroom for best a few quarters within the 3rd contest of the Dollars’ five-game exhibition slate, Griffin used to be inspired with what he noticed.
“Today was a great first step in the right direction,” Griffin mentioned. “You can see those guys love playing together already. And not just Dame and Giannis, but everyone was just pulling for each other.”
The 28-year-old Antetokounmpo praised the 33-year-old Lillard as a lot for the individual he’s as he lauded him as a participant.
“I feel like it’s like a little version of me,” Antetokounmpo. “A guard version. … Quiet. Goes about his business. Takes care of his family. Shows up. Practices really hard. Helps his teammates when he needs to be vocal. … And when the game starts, he’s just a killer.”
“I’ll be very honest, I’ve never been this open. And first of all, I’ve never seen anybody being double-teamed from the first possession of the game.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Life the Dollars heavy guy has helped his workforce win 50-plus video games in 4 out of the date 5 seasons and earn a identify in 2021, he has been an keen pupil of Lillard’s all over coaching camp — particularly relating to Milwaukee’s untouched offense, carried out via worker educator Terry Stotts, who used to be Lillard’s head educator in Portland.
“I learned so much from him,” Antetokounmpo mentioned of Lillard. “He knows how to play this game. He puts himself in position to be successful. He helps us and puts me in position to be successful.”
Lillard is expecting the disasters his untouched workforce will enjoy past development towards their championship purpose, understanding it received’t be a symmetrical procedure to good fortune.
“It might take a time where Giannis might have to get mad at me over something,” Lillard mentioned with fun. “Something’s got to happen for you to really start to learn who we are and how we come together.”
Antetokounmpo mentioned Lillard has not anything to fret about.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to be mad at him,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “What he does for this team is so much that you can never be upset. … What he does, just by him being out there, he creates so much attention. It makes our game easier. … By him basically doing nothing, just walking around, just being Damian Lillard.”
