So much has been said about the Milwaukee Bucks’ new superstar duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. This isn’t surprising at all considering how Dame’s move to Milwaukee is widely considered the most impactful acquisition of the offseason. It goes without saying that the team’s success will rely heavily on how well these two stars get along on and off the court.
At this point, it’s almost easy to overlook the fact that Khris Middleton will also play an undeniably crucial role for the Bucks this coming season. In fact, the three-time All-Star could very well be the X-Factor that leads this team to another championship this season.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Sees Big Role for Khris Middleton
For his part, Lillard is not underestimating Middleton’s role for the Bucks. In fact, Dame says that he intends to go out of his way to make sure that Middleton is able to get his slice of the cake, so to speak:
“Like I said before, how Giannis is and how I am, he’s naturally going to get opportunities,” Lillard told Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I don’t plan on having the ball in my hands the whole time. And if Giannis doesn’t have it, I know Khris is a handler, a shot maker, a playmaker and we gotta play off of each other. I think that’s how we’re going to be our best. We gotta leave room for Khris to be Khris.”
You love to hear it.
Dame’s Message for Khris
Lillard went on to say that he’s already had a conversation with Middleton about getting on the same page. What is clear is that both stars have a singular goal this coming season, and that’s doing whatever they can to help the team win:
“I talked to him, like, ‘Let me know what you need from me, so you’re comfortable or you feel like you’re doing what you need to be doing.’ And he was like, ‘Nah. You be you,’” Lillard said.
“So I think everybody’s mentality is like that, and once we got on the court together and practiced and we played, I was able to see how it would work pretty easy. Everybody’s making the right play. It’s simple. He’s a shot maker. I’m a shot maker. But because of how teams have to respect what we’re all capable of, it’s just going to make it more simple. So I don’t think it’s something to overthink about.”
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