One of the questions that was raised when Damian Lillard was traded to the Bucks was how he would fit into an offense that already boasted Giannis Antetokounmpo. Well Giannis at least has absolutely no concerns about an offensive "competition" according to comments he made over the weekend. "We're going to let Dame be Dame. There won't be any competition. He will have the ball more," Giannis said from the Bucks training camp.
In theory, this should be one of the most dominant pairings in NBA history. Both are elite players in their own right. However, they have also have skill sets that complement the other. Lillard will stretch the floor unlike any teammate Giannis has had in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Giannis will pressure the interior unlike any teammate Lillard ever had in Portland. Providing they both stay healthy, this is an S-tier tandem and the rest of the league should be very scared. And that's before it became very clear that Giannis is happy to cede his traditional role to Lillard for the sake of team balance.
Giannis Excited For Lillard, Sad To Lose Holiday
Giannis broke his silence on the trade a couple days after it happened at the end of last month. For the Greek-born star, it's a bittersweet acquisition. "Jrue [Holiday] is my fucking brother for life. I love his family, I love him. I appreciate him and I wish him nothing but the best. He blessed me with a fucking championship. He's the one who made that huge steal in Game 5 of the Finals. I went to battle with him multiple times. Fuck basketball. Fuck the media shit. This guy is my brother for life, and it's always going to be like that. He's going to thrive wherever he ends up," Giannis told Bleacher Report.
However, that isn't to say that he isn't excited to play with Dame. "Now at the same time, I'm excited to have Dame. He gives us a chance to win a championship. I'm excited to play with the caliber of player that he is. He can score the ball in his sleep and shoot the lights out. It's a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee. You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great guy. Jrue took us to the promised land. I'm 10 years in now. I know it's a business. At the end of the day, Jrue will alway be be my brother for life. He's one of the best human beings I've been around. But we've got to focus on the goal to win the championship. Dame wants this. He's hungry to win, and he's going to push us. I'm very happy to have him on our team." That appears to have only grown over the course of training camp.
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