Behind every NBA legend who took his franchise to new heights was a second name, also known as the deputy, who provided great support in terms of scoring output. For every Michael Jordan, there is sometimes a Scottie Pippen. For every Stephen Curry, there was a Klay Thompson (too soon?). Giannis Antetokounmpo has found his replacement in Damian Lillard.

Having kept his average above 20 points since his sophomore season and posted career-high scores that other up-and-coming players could only hope to achieve, his connection to the Greek Freak certainly makes the Bucks a team to watch. However, once such statistics have been secured at the individual level, it would not be easy for anyone to relinquish control.

The Milwaukee Bucks are now 1-4 in the regular season after losing their last game to the Grizzlies. During the postgame question-and-answer session in the locker room, Lillard was asked if he would come back after such an abysmal winning record. The 34-year-old took the opportunity to talk about how he has seen himself as someone who can do it throughout his career “take over” during the game. However, things have changed for him since moving to Milwaukee in 2023.

Although Dame believes he could lead the team to score more points together, he still has to take a back seat. “I understand that it is different. So I have to try to find a way to not just go back to what I've always done, because it's probably not always necessary, or probably not necessary at all.” Lillard said.

“I think that's probably the hardest part: when things seem to be getting out of control or things get difficult, I can take a little more ownership. And I think just not really being in that role is, you know, a little bit harder. For me it's more of a process of figuring out” Lady concluded.

Lillard's comments came just as his team was losing by a wide margin, 122-99, to the Grizzlies. It's important to note that the Memphis team started its run last season as a 13th seed. Giannis contributed most of the scoring with 37 points, while Brook Lopez was the second-best scorer with 12 points. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard stayed on the court for 33 minutes but was only able to score 4 points!

The point guard was the Portland Trail Blazers' top scorer for eleven years. This had allowed him to not only become the all-time leader among his peers, but also become the Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer by 2022, surpassing Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler's previous record. He holds the franchise record in points, points per game, 3-pointers made and free throws. His efforts helped the franchise reach the conference finals in 2019 for the first time in 19 years!

The Blazers became playoff contenders during his tenure and made the postseason eight times. We can't say for sure whether Damian Lillard is now aiming for promotion to top scorer. However, if that were to be the case, it is certain that Giannis would be considered. After all, he was open to it about a year ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed in 2023 that he wants Damian Lillard to lead the Bucks: “This is his team”

In October 2023, both the Greek Freak and the lady did an interview with Bleacher Report. Giannis revealed the first things he told Lillard in their conversations as teammates. The basketball player made it clear that he would follow any advice his new teammate gave him. Why? Because he was convinced that Dame only had the best intentions for the team. “Basically, I may be here, but this is his team.” Giannis said with Lillard right next to him. “Ultimately, he has to feel very good about himself in order for him to feel successful.”

Management may have given the former Trail Blazer some handling freedom. However, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo who led the Bucks in scoring last season, averaging 30.4 points in 73 regular season games. On the other hand, Damian Lillard averaged 24.3 points since he started the same number of games. So if the Milwaukee Bucks don't pick up a few wins soon, Doc Rivers may have no choice but to make tactical changes and shake things up.