The Preseason Debut of the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo Duo Serves as a Reminder to Exercise Patience with the Bucks’ Development

On Sunday in Los Angeles, Lillard and Antetokounmpo shared the stage for the first time.

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Damian Lillard Makes Milwaukee Bucks Debut Against Los Angeles Lakers -  Blazer's Edge

Do you recall having a snack as a child before going to the beach or swimming pool? You wanted to jump into the water as soon as you got there, but an adult, possibly a parent, told you to wait “at least 30 minutes” after eating before you could start having fun.

Preseason debut of Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo duo reminds us to  be patient with Bucks' progression - CBSSports.com

That is the current situation with the Milwaukee Bucks.May be an image of 3 people, people playing basketball, basketball jersey and text

Unfortunately, things in the NBA don’t generally work that way. Everyone wants to see the fully developed version of the highly anticipated combination of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo right away. Lillard excels. Giannis does very well. How long will it take them to become a fantastic team, though?

We just presume that pairing Lillard and Antetokounmpo will provide elite results based on their respective pick-and-roll statistics. However, their nationally televised 108-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in their first preseason game together on Sunday served as a reminder that Milwaukee will need a lot of patience—more than we’d like to admit—as they adjust to their new, talented point guard.

Before stopping for the whole second half, Antetokounmpo was his usual dominant self, scoring 16 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 2 blocks on 7 of 10 shots in just over 15 minutes. Though not as efficient, Lillard nevertheless showed off his incredible 3-point shooting range and finishing prowess, scoring 14 points, dishing out three assists, and shooting 6-for-6 from the free throw line in just 22 minutes.

However, Lillard and Antetokounmpo weren’t quite Stockton and Malone together—at least not yet. As expected, the Lakers’ defense stacked the deck against the two superstars, making it impossible for anybody else to defeat them.

In some instances, Antetokounmpo simply took it upon himself to do something superhuman out of a busted play.

All things considered, there was just no synergy, and that’s okay. Here, watch as the Bucks reverse the pick-and-roll, with Lillard defending Giannis, causing havoc with spacing.

Let’s not misunderstand; as he looks to make the most of the skills of two of the best basketball players in history, Adrian Griffin, the first-year head coach of the Bucks, has an AMAZING challenge. Shooters like Jae Crowder, Brook Lopez, and Malik Beasley gave Lillard and Antetokounmpo a plenty of attention, even though things didn’t go as planned on Sunday. Remember that Khris Middleton, the other All-Star for Milwaukee, was not involved in the game.Even while we have visions of Milwaukee’s offensive prowess dancing in our heads, it’s crucial to keep in mind that chemistry is necessary for any great combination or team, and chemistry takes time. That was emphasized in the Sunday night premiere of the newest superstar team in the NBA.

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