Giannis Antetokounmpo Claims Damian Lillard’s Absence Changed Everything As He Makes Demand Clear From Bucks Fans

Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo were projected to be a highly productive pairing when the former was traded to the Bucks in 2023. In their first season together, however, they failed to create the magic. Bucks were third in the East with 49 wins. Then they were eliminated in the first round losing to the sixth-seed Indiana Pacers. This season, they had the entire summer to fix this. And as head coach Doc Rivers had said, building the chemistry between the two was in his scheme of things ever since he took over as the head coach in 2023.

So in October 2024, the team headed to University of California-Irvine for a training camp. Rivers revealed he had planned about it just 10 days after taking up the coaching job. What was going on in his mind? “Think about Dame…Dame gets traded. Comes in the day before camp, the next day they practice, and what does he do after practice? Goes back to the hotel. Giannis goes home. Khris Middleton goes home. All the players go home. No connection…I think it’s important that they’ll be riding in the car together to and from practice, going to dinners, spending time,” Rivers had explained. In fact, Antetokounmpo himself had pointed out something vital.

“We never had a player like him. It’s just something that slowly, slowly with time you understand. It’s definitely hard when I’m 29 and he’s 34 at this moment of our careers to kind of change the habits you’ve created, but if you want to win, you have to do so,” he had said in October, last year. But despite all this, the duo seemed to be struggling to find that spark together. Their offensive woes reached such an extent that after their recent 104-93 loss to the Warriors, Rivers reportedly had a meeting with the duo to discuss what caused their disastrous offense late in the game. However, there is something intriguing.

Lillard is out with deep vein thrombosis, the Bucks announced on March 25. Interestingly, without him, they are currently on a 5-game winning streak. And even more surprising, the Greek Freak picked another triple-double in their last game against Minnesota. Three in a row, and there is no way this 30-year-old giant is stopping anytime soon. So has Lillard’s absence elevated his play? As surprising as it might sound, Antetokounmpo believes so. After his 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists game, Giannis shared the impact of Lillard’s absence. The Greek star has 40 assists with five turnovers in the last few games. The reporter was curious to know, “You haven’t had the turnovers that might go along with a high assist total with having the ball in your hands that much?”

Giannis Antetokounmpo honestly responded: “I feel like when I have the ball, I’m more poised because I have the ball more, you know? Like, I’m not chasing the ball. And when the ball comes to me, I don’t have to make a decision.” Looks like the 2x MVP forward is finding more rhythm on the court than before. He even explained why he seems to be leaning the way he is, with the ball in his hand. “Because usually when I play with Dame and the ball is swung to me, I gotta make a quick decision because they’re loading to Dame.”

Of course! Having someone pass the ball requires not only presence of mind but also instant decision-making. What to do with it? Pass it to the other player or take a shot? It’s a battle in its own way, but with Lillard sidelined, it looks like Giannis doesn’t have to chase the ball anymore. However, this shift in the game doesn’t always go as planned. “Now they’re off me for a second, and sometimes I might get myself in trouble. But, like, when I have the ball, I think I feel more poised. I get to my spot easier,” Antetokounmpo confessed.

He further noted: “I make the extra plays—either going to be assist, or it might be a hockey assist, or it might be a pass that creates an advantage for my teammate that he can, you know, be able to get downhill or create something for the next player. And the next player does the same for the next player.” Comparing the situation to opening a cookie jar and then deciding on whether to eat it then or leave it for later, Giannis Antetokounmpo looks to have evolved as a ball-handler on the court in Damian Lillard‘s absence.

Amid all this, Tuesday also marked the return of Bobby Portis Jr. after his 25-game suspension. Antetokounmpo is happy that Portis is back because “he’s a player who plays hard. He’s a player who can make shots.” While all this is happening on the hardwood, off the court Antetokounmpo has a simple request for the fans who are always there for the Bucks in every game, every season, through all the ups and downs. And surely, without this relentless love and support, not only Giannis and Co. but no franchise would be anything in the greater scheme of events.

Top Comment by reynolthom4

I think the whole team is. Dame is a good player but he turns the ball over too much and...more

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Antetokounmpo asks fans to help fuel the squad’s determination

So, it was Giannis’s mom’s birthday, and the Fiserv Forum united to celebrate Mama Antetokounmpo’s big day. Meanwhile, Bobby Portis’ mother was also cheered while the hooper received a standing ovation. Thus, the reporter wanted to know what Antetokounmpo felt in that atmosphere in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

“Great energy. We’re going to need this for the next three games. We’re going to need this for the playoffs. It’s always great playing at home especially with Bobby. We knew that there’s going to be a lot of energy when he comes in, when he checks into the game and I was happy because he definitely needed that [after what] he’s been through,“ he confessed.

The Bucks star didn’t stop with the praises for the number 9. With 5 wins in a row and the playoffs almost here, he further stressed the idea of the unit, what gives them strength, and a lot of it is credited to the most important stakeholder: fans!

“As a team, we need it. We’re not going to be able to do this on our own. We need the people behind us—the fans, our fans behind us. And we definitely need that energy,” he stressed. The crowd’s energy in the fourth quarter plays an important role in pushing the unit to play harder. And no doubt, their love and support will be key in the next games and the playoffs.

Ultimately, it’s more than just buckets and boards. With Dame sidelined, Giannis has stepped up as the calm force. Meanwhile, Bobby’s return reignites the spark, and the fans keep pouring in love. Together, they’re building something bigger—something that just might carry them all the way.