Damian Lillard Set to Make His Return to Portland to Face the Trail Blazers with @LockedOnBucks

Damian Lillard Set to Make His Return to Portland to Face the Trail Blazers with @LockedOnBucks

In today’s show Camille Davis of lockon bucks joins the program and we talk all things Damen Lamont Oly Lillard ahe of his return to Portland it’s a crossover edition of lock on Blazers and lock on bucks welcome to the program let’s get into it you are locked on Trailblazers your

Daily Portland Trailblazers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what up world you are listening to locked on Blazers and locked on bucks a crossover edition of the episode I am Mike Richmond host of locked off locked on Blazers joins by Camille Davis host

Of locked on bcks Camille how you doing I doing great this morning you know we got the Doc Rivers error off although it started off on the loss it’s officially here there’s no more who is our next head coach going to be and question mark so I’m just happy that we got that

Settled and we can continue to move forward what a week in Buckland uh doc Doc Rivers comes back you play the Champs in Denver on Monday night and then Damen Lords return to Portland on Wednesday um kind of a wild week to take over the job for for your boy Glenn

Um absolutely and he truly is my boy I have to say I’m a Marquette grad as well so I have a little extra love for Doc Rivers out here than some other people might oh I would say that in in terms of most NBA the most NBA world I feel like

People hate on on on Doc Rivers for the most part so I’m glad to see he’s got some support there uh in in in the midwest uh let’s what what I want to do today for listeners uh for both both listeners of our shows you you are

Locked on bucks and locked on Blazers today a crossover Edition so thanks for listening wherever you are thanks for making this show your first listen uh I want to talk about Dame’s return I want to talk about you know the Blazers post Dame we’ll talk about the Bucks in half

A year of Damen Lillard and then kind of the new era of the Bucks moving forward uh Camille I know Dame has talked about this what do you think it’ll mean to him and then I’ll share my thoughts uh to return to Portland on Wednesday evening

I think it’s gonna be big like we had the Trailblazers come into Milwaukee and it was of course a story about hey it’s the first time that Damen Lillard is playing against the Portland Trailblazers what is this going to be like and Dame himself said like you know

It didn’t really hit me that bad because we were in Milwaukee for the game I’m sure that when I get back to Portland it’s going to be different feeling a different scenario because it’ll be back in that Arena first time in the visitors locker room it’ll be back in the same

City able to hit the same spots he used to hit see some of the same familiar faces that he’s used to seeing in the arena the work staff the fans who have season tickets and he mentioned that when he was coming to Milwaukee like his first game here in Milwaukee against the

76ers where he was like it was kind of weird because I came out on the court and I didn’t know anybody and I’m not used to being in that position where I don’t know the people who are working I don’t know some of the fans who I see

Often it just felt a little bit weird so I think going back to Portland is going to open up a lot of different emotions for Dame I’m sure there’s going to be an amazing tribute video I would expect that Blazers fans are going to be welcoming him back with rockets Applause

And just appreciation because it seems like although he did make that trade request that Blazers fans have so much love for Dame at this point it’s not like when LeBron left Cleveland the first time and when he came back people were booing and burning jerseys it doesn’t feel like we’re going to get

That type of energy in Portland on Wednesday no I I I I would say universally I haven’t talked to anyone who’s like turned on Dame at any point it’ll be it’ll be a a big emotional thing like um I know that he has spoiler y’all he has filmed a video thanking the

The the community or whatever so uh we I’m sure we’ll see that to some extent and they’ll probably do a big production you know CJ McCollum returned last year and it was this big loud thing and they they introduced him last and warm-ups so he could have that moment with the

Lights on and he could wave to everyone and they could cheer for him and it was kind of odd right it was odd to have CJ back Dam Lord is like 200 times more important to the franchise than than CJ McCollum with all due respect it’s going

To be strange um you know it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be um you know and he’s going to get all the love and and I I I love that you mentioned all the people who work in the arena that’s what makes Dame special right is that he

Knows the ushers and he knows the security and and he makes he you know forms relationships with people like that just in in at you know in 11 years here it was like yeah I see them every day and we come out and I say hello and all these things that’ll be meaningful

To him um I I think it’ll be like it’s obviously going to be emotional the word I keep coming back to is strange I think it’s going to be so strange to have for both for fans to watch Dame wear what I was going to say what wear green but

They might wear white who knows what color jerseys anyone will wear in the NBA now some they might some color Bucks jersey like it’ll be it’ll be odd to see him just in that it’ll be odd to see him you know if he has like 28 and N or

Whatever it’ll be odd to see him just like beat down a Blazers team and like that I think you know he’s G he this is this is unique right um this is probably for most folks that are you know under 40 this is the best the best Blazer that they really saw

Uh because they were they were kids like in when during the Clyde Drexler era Dame is at worst in my opinion the second best Blazer of all time this is a true legend coming back on good terms um do you think do you think in that first

Milwaukee game he was pressing a little bit I felt like my perception of it was that he was like I got to beat the Blazers and he didn’t play very well early against Portland do you think was that your perception of that game too oh boy that game was a roller coaster

Because the bus were down like by like 26 at some point in that game and had a crazy comeback to win it and that was during a time frame with Adrian Griffin as our head coach where bugs fans were trying to figure out like okay is this

Coaching is this scheme is this players like at that time it was a lot of questions about what was making up the mix of what we were seeing as Milwaukee Bucks basketball and in that game it did feel like Dame was missing a lot more

Shots than what we were used to but then also I should mention this because I’ve heard from some Blazers fans I would love to hear your opinion on this as well because bugs fans have been surprised at the slow start to the season that Dame got off to he also had

A slower start into the month of January but that’s picked up a little bit as we’ve continued to go on and I know that historically from what I’ve heard from Blazers fans is that he’s a slow starter to the season he doesn’t tend to do much

Working out over the summer five on five work at least and then his first time is normally in training camp and then this particular Summer with the trade request he didn’t even have a lot of that time to get into the gym to work on that 5v5 game so things were coming a

Little bit slower you mix that in with some of the offc Court things that Dame has been dealing with not only moving from Portland to Milwaukee but some family things going on as well so there’s been a lot on Dame’s shoulder and I can imagine that the first time he

Did go up against the Trailblazers Jersey that he was like I want to do so I want to make this memorable but um it took a while for us to get there I believe he was like seven of 21 from the field in that game in particular um but

The Bucs got a win in a very thrilling fashion that was unexpected against a Portland shell wazers team that many at that time were like should they be beating the Bucks by this much exactly for yeah yeah exactly and like these Blazers are supposed to be like

Rebuilding in this weird area so it was strange in that sense but uh I don’t know what to expect when he heads to Portland tomorrow I’m hoping that it’s a game that can help continue to uh sparkk that uh good ball from DNE because it has been some uneven performances so far

Throughout the season again I understand a lot of what’s going on with him in that and I have heard like I mentioned that he’s a slow starter yeah he typically the Blazers in the like sort of that post Lamarcus Dame it’s Dame’s team uh type of ERA with with the

Blazers um his like you know third through eighth Seasons like they would just kind of Limp out of the gates a little bit and then right now like that mid January to the allstar break and Beyond Dame would turn it on and be like oh yeah he’s he’s going to make an all

NBA team like you know missed the All-Star game one year and then made it all it was third Team all NBA I was like oh yeah he’s really good um and he would typically turn it on it is I I I think we should talk more about what Dame has

Has been like uh with with the Bucs in the second segment but I I want to say this um it wouldn’t surprise me if Dame hits like a 35f footer on Wednesday night to begin the game if he’s just like haha I’m back and he hits a thir

But it also wouldn’t surprise me if he goes like six of 18 and just like has like a game where he’s pressing or a game where it does you know or a game where he’s defer deferring to to uh to Giannis and and deferring to Chris like

And it’s like hey you guys go because we’re good we should win the game that’s what matters um it but it wouldn’t it like if he were to have 44 it wouldn’t surprise me and if you were to have 17 it wouldn’t surprise me like I think

Both both ends of the polls are are are definitely there for him you mentioned sort of the up and down play and and then and the slow start for Dame let let’s talk about what he’s been like in his first half season in Milwaukee I have some thoughts and I would love love

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Starter thanks to the good people of I mean probably Athens right um probably janisan sto’s Global reach helped him uh get the fan vote needed but like Dame has been I think he was still going to make the All-Star team regardless like if he doesn’t get voted

In I think he’s been All-Star level I think he’s clearly been one of the best guards in the East like but but he hasn’t been Dame like that capital D Damien Lillard is this dude gonna finish you know top five in the MVP type of voting obviously he was gonna take a

Step back next to jiannis but what is your perception after a little over half a season with Dame in the green and cream of the of Bucks colors yeah it has been that because you know heading into the season you’re seeing Damen Lillard you’re seeing yon DMO and the first

Reaction that I had when I saw this trade was made was oh my goodness the league is going to have trouble stopping this pick and roll between these two guys and the early returns were I mean the numbers showed that when they ran it it was very effective it’s just that

They didn’t run it at a very high frequency at least not as high as many fans or outside eyes thought the buck should have been especially given how successful uh it is and that’s something with Doc Rivers coming in which I know we’ll talk about a little bit more where

He has said I want to emphasize the twom Man game between Dame and Janis even more going forward than what has been used previously here in Milwaukee and I think about that aspect of it of like I didn’t see as much of that as I thought but early Returns on damee because he’s

Someone who I’ve always enjoyed watching but this is my first time being able to watch him night in and night out first thing that shocked I did not know that man got to the free throw line that often like he is gifted at being able to

Use his body to draw contact and get to line he is also really good with how to decelerate and accelerate with his speed like he’s not someone who you look at and you think like dearon Fox like really quick or fast but he is so masterful at the ability of being able

To change up his speed at the drop of a dime that can throw defenses off crazy he’s great finishing at The Rim uh the mid-range game I would love to see him take some more mid-range shots and then we of course know uh the gravity that he creates by being a three-point threat

The way that he is being able to shoot from the logo logo Lillard like it’s a thing um and whenever we get some of those buckets it’s always exciting and I was coming into the season like I wonder what the usage rate is going to be

Because jannis is a very high usage rate player especially to be a a big right you don’t normally see bigs with that type of usage rate and I know Dames was high both guys have seen them come down but I know there is a a subset of bugs

Fans who want to see Dame’s numbers increase um we have heard Doc Rivers say like we want the ball in Dame’s hands a little bit more we want to push it up to him a little bit more and honestly Dame has been he’s still trying to get comfortable in this offense and that’s

The crazy part of it because the Bucks have had the second best offense in the league throughout this season and it still feels like there’s a level to unlock like it’s still clunky at times the ball doesn’t move as well as you want to see um and there are still

Levels to unlock and I think a lot of that comes with Dame and Giannis and not even just that pick and roll combination pairing but also running Dame with Chris running Dame with Brook and we saw that a bit last night against Denver with Dame and Brook two man actions that were

Leading to a lot of good looks for Brook Lopez as well um so there’s still a lot more I think to uncover when it comes to unlocking Damon Milwaukee but early returns have shown to me at the very least this is why you make this trade

Because I’m not sure if other fans know this but I mean when you look at the Bucs and the championship run and the Bucs in the playoffs the last five years under but the offense always came to a grinding halt like that was the part of

The game for the bucks where it’s like okay we know we can get the stops but can we get enough buckets to win this game you throw in somebody like Dame who in a half court you know he’s a threat to always score the ball and we’ve seen

Games this season where you’re like this is why you make this trade yeah I think like the usage stuff I want to talk about like how they utilize him I don’t really think like the just like raw like how much you know time of possession and usage rate I

That’s the life dude like you’re going to play with jannis hupo on his team like you’re just going to have the ball a little bit less um which in theory is something Dame has kind of wanted he has mentioned in the past like oh I I’d like

To be able to play off the ball and the Blazers kind of chased it for a lot of his career first with Mo Williams way back in the day first with like Ronnie price and Eric mayor for my real heads but like um but but eventually you know

With uh with Evan Turner and with Mario honia and with like oh we’re going to get this a big forward who can handle the ball and let Dame off the ball and he was like you know after obviously Evan Turner and Mario honia are like a probably maybe a slight step down from

Yanan too just a little bit um particularly his onia they’re pretty close um but like the Dame has wanted that it’s been this like platonic ideal of I’m going to be off the ball but what he is is a pick and roll point guard what

He is is a pick and roll point guard that’s what he it’s what he’s most comfortable in is what he’s best at so it’s like I I think some of his struggles in Milwaukee and he’s shooting worse than he has um like he’s way the three-point shooting is the really big

Thing that’s down for him but like he’s still getting pretty similar opportunities here’s some numbers for you this year he’s running 10 pick and rolls per game 10.0 um and he’s and he’s eighth in points per possession uh last year he was for the Blazers he was

Running 11.1 which was the fourth most picking roles in the game we’re talking one fewer pick and roll one fewer pick and roll a night like it’s really not that much it’s sometimes anbo initiates and then Dame has to run a later pick and roll in the clock and it seems like

On those possessions from my eye that maybe Dame is not as effective um but this is kind of what you signed up for um I mean maybe not he signed up to play for the Miami Heat and was so so it isn’t specifically what he signed up for

Um to me the real difference in Dame in Milwaukee from from what I’ve watched and I have You’ you’ve watched all 45 games like really closely and I I’ve watched 16 or something like that you know so so so yeah it’s like certainly more than than most other teams uh but like

He’s just had more stinkers he’s had more stinkers it isn’t that his height he doesn’t get to the heights it’s just he gets his lows are more frequent he’s had more games where it’s like wow Dame C have sucked tonight it’s like well he wasn’t very good like oh and they and

It’s like you you mentioned like they’re they’re number two in offense the defense has been a problem and I want to ask you about that but like they’re leaving a little bit on the board my perception of the Bucs is that they’re underachieving and then you look

At the standings and their second in the East like they might win the freaking Eastern Conference you know it’s like there the a lot of teams would love to underachieve at this level so um it’s it is it’s interesting with me I feel like it’s mostly cons I I feel like it’s

Mostly the difference in Dame this year is like a a little bit less on Ball action he has the time of possession is down and the and the and the usage rate is down but he he just it’s mostly just more stinkers more bad Knights um do you

Think do you think he struggled as a without being like the guy capital T capital G do you think that’s been an adjustment for him I think that absolutely has been an adjustment I think anybody who says it’s not is not being completely honest like whenever you are combining superstars on the same

Team there is going to be some give and take and there’s going to be an adjustment period and you mentioned the fact that the Bucs have been able to be second in the East but that still got their head coach fired right it wasn’t the result that they’re looking at alone

And saying like hey hey this isn’t good enough we expect you to be first in the East and that’s why we’re firing Adrien Griffin it was more so hey we’re looking at how you’re getting to some of these wins and the process isn’t necessarily leading to the results like this team is

Finding ways to win regardless of the process and we need to change the process because guys are still confused about assignments they’re still confused about scheme they don’t understand where they’re at you see guys with their hands up looking at each other throwing fits yeah exactly exactly

So like a had to be made and it just shows again how the Milwaukee Bucks are really pushing all their chips in and saying like we don’t have any time to waste it’s a sense of urgency here and that’s why they pulled the trigger to get Dame in the first place because you

Have the opportunity to pair one of the greatest you know NBA players of all time with another one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time and you have to try to make that happen and of course you take a hit defensively we can definitely talk a little bit more about

That swapping out Drew holiday for Damien Lillard of course changes how some things look on the defensive end uh but it gives you such a higher floor offensively and that’s been the thing with the Dame experience where you’re watching some of the games and you’re like man like some of these are good

Looks but they’re not falling or you’re like hey feels like dam is pressing a little bit right now like you went up for this shot here but maybe the ball should have moved a little bit more before the shot attempt was taken um so there is still some learning and adding

In the fact there’s another head coach in place now so now you’re learning again on the Fly luckily the bugs are a veteran team so some of those transitions from Griff to pry to now Doc um shouldn’t be as difficult because it’s a veteran group they’re smart they

Can call some things on their own and they can have that communication level where there’s not the need for as much teaching but you also don’t want to overdo it and give these guys too much to think about changing systems and now they’re thinking instead of playing and

Naturally like letting the game Flow a bit so uh I think there is definitely still room for Dame to improve like we mentioned something needs to be changed and I think that’s part of the the coaching change like we need to unlock Dame a little bit better here in

Milwaukee as well yeah I think some of it is like at least it feels like there’s times when it’s like okay we got Dame to win when the game’s on the line Dame final three minutes do your thing dog do your thing and he’s and they’ve been great in clutch situations and he

Has had some some big moments he was tapping his wrist you know a couple weeks ago uh 10 days ago maybe like he’s he’s had those moments but it’s it the balance is not like okay final three minutes it’s Damen Lillard it’s time to spam Daman Lo pick and rolls like the

The most clutch thing you can you can do is avoid clutch situations that’s that is the key is and the Bucks the the best version of the Bucks smokes teams they run teams off the floor they do not play close games they do not have those weird

Like okay how do you unlock Giannis in the half court the best version of the Bucs never asks that question until May and I think that’s why you change coaches um May and and June are a whole different thing and we’ll talk about that but like let’s let’s discuss what

What can what can Doc Rivers do what’s the era of this new era of the Bucks going to be and and uh if if you have some Blazers questions in the post daymare I’d love to answer those too that’s what we’ll do to close the show join us in that third segment won’t

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NBA one more time for you let me get that URL right linkedin.com loock MBA linkedin.com loock MBA to post your job for free terms and conditions Apply still still pass first point guard still Mike Richmond still chatting here with Camille Davis a lockon bucks you’re one game in C you’re one game in you’ve got 48 minutes of of the doc era so you’ve got a lot of a lot to a lot to discuss a lot to unpack what

Are your perceptions of not even just like using the Denver game which which they lost um uh but like what are your perceptions of what Doc’s going to mean to this team I think what doc means first and foremost it’s a voice that the locker

Room is going to respect uh doc comes in and he commands a lot of respect he has experience of working with stars as well now GM John hores for the bucks he did push back on the notion that Adrien Griffin lost the locker room as some report have been coming out insane he

Pushed back saying that is not true he did not lose the locker room anything right anything that happened in the bugs locker room is stuff that you would see in any other NBA locker room it happens guys were frustrated but he did not lose the locker room and that

Was something that he emphasized but when you bring in Doc Rivers Doc Rivers is somebody who like I mentioned has a voice he has that that that that aura about him because he’s won a championship he’s coached high-profile teams and there’s nothing new that you

Can throw at at this point this is his 25th season coaching now with the Milwaukee Bucks he’s seen it all he’s done it all he’s been able to deal with it all and he’s a voice that can go to Dame or go to Giannis or go to Chris go

To Brooke and say hey I need you to stop doing this and do this instead or whatever the correction might be or the suggestion he can make that and that voice is going to carry a lot of weight um in addition to that I made a joke and

I said if you would have told me back in May that the coach that’s going to be leading the Bucks into the playoffs is going to be Doc Rivers I would have been upset and said we have Doc Rivers at home with Mike boser what are we doing

But when you see what Adrien Griffin did and tried to establish and you see that uh sometimes we can take for granted coaches that establish a floor and a culture and it’s like hey this is the scheme this is what we’re going to do and it’s very simple like players

Understanding their role and what they’re trying to do um it’s something that we don’t tend to think about as much I don’t think as people watching outside like hey of you assume that that’s already happening and then we see with Adrien Griffin there were still questions halfway through the season

About what we’re doing what is our identity and doc has said we need to find that and that’s somebody who I trust to do that with this team now I know all the three and three1 leads that have been blown so on and so forth the playoff questions but at the very least

Doc is gonna come in and establish a floor for this team to play in he’s going to simplify things he mentioned while adding in some of his own things um and he’s mentioned again Twan game between Damon and Giannis he wants to unlock and that doesn’t even mean just

Straight pick and rolls be triple handoffs just more actions between those two guys and also three- man actions including Dame yanis and Chris and just trying to find more ways to get them involved like that’s going to be a big focal point of this offense is going to

Be running it through Dame and Giannis um and they’ve been using shoot rounds to do that and one thing I’m happy about with the schedule the Bucs are on a five game Road Trip here Portland’s the second stop but after this Wednesday game in Portland the Bucs don’t play

Again until Saturday so they will have a few games here to really nail down some of the things that doc wants to do try to catch up on terminology and just get time to work and learn with each other so I think with Doc as I mentioned like

We understand the bugs have a sense of urgency they want championships and I think doc gives them a better opportunity to do that than what Adrien Griffin was able to do and that’s no knock on Griff being a first-time head coach walking into a job with that type

Of expectation is very difficult very very difficult and part of why I was nervous for Darin ham going to La initially where I’m like hey that’s a tough job to walk into for a first-time head coach so I think that’s what doc brings and I would love to hear from you

With the Blazers because you you trade away Dame a franchise Cornerstone as you argue arguably the greatest Blazer in history arguably right yeah how has this team like what stage of the NBA life cycle are the Blazers in right now and how have things been going without Damon

Moving into a new era of what Blazer’s basketball is going to look like you know life cycle a great a great term for it I love that they’re germinating like they’re just this is the early Sprouts of it and you don’t know if this is going to be a big

Healthy plant or if it’s going to need a little bit of Miracle Grow um I think the Blazers could use a little Miracle Grow in the form of nailing the next two drafts but um they’re you know they’re they’re kind of still struggling for what their identity is is um you know

DeAndre Aon took 10,000 years to get right but he’s looked over the last four games he’s looked really good um he hadn’t scored more than 16 points in back-to-back games all season until the last four games when he scored 18 at least 18 in four straight games dude

Used to average 18 and 10 like it’s just like it’s just and and and it just took him forever to figure it out their spacing is really bad but also I think they didn’t have a great idea for how to use da and then he got hurt and then

Blah blah blah scoot Henderson’s been bad he’s a 19-year old who looks like a 19-year old um and so if this was supposed to be okay they’re drafting a young player that’s like has some professional experience and he’s going to like take over the mantle from Damen

Lord which is always kind of insane but but it’s and unfair quite frankly but like that hasn’t come to fruition he’s there they are now keeping him off the bench and keeping avoiding his pairing with Anthony Simons at all cost because they don’t think those two dudes work

Together and they don’t um so like they don’t have that clear identity uh I think athre Simons has been pretty good on offense but he to my eyes has not stepped into that role where you’re like yeah this dude could lead a really good offense in the league he’s been good and

If he had better teammates I think he would be better but um he’s he’s shown some of his warts uh this season as well as he’s tried to figure it out so they are in the like the nent stages of a rebuild like they’re they’re probably two more

Seasons away from being a competitive basketball team and that’s you know we’re recording this a week before the trade deadline that is like assuming that they make some moves here so it has been a I would say very believable like you trade Damen Lillard and you get back

What you get back I knew this team was going to be bad I I you know at the beginning of the year on this very Network I did like the the Blazers had to be in the bottom five here are the five worst teams in The League season

Preview and that’s where they belong baby that’s where they should have been and that’s and they’re GNA end up with like the sixth worst record in the league like I don’t think the record is surprising or troubling or any of those things it’s just like the here’s what we

Here’s what this team’s going to look like next hasn’t been defined yet um and and some of it I I think the what makes as as you mentioned with Doc Rivers like the floor setting and the culture setting some of it is just like the Soft Stuff the soft magic of

Coaching uh is you know I I not I’m not sure that they have that sort of defined ethos and defined plan and what and what I think doc does well is maybe the like just the just the soft stuff the the ego massaging and the identity forming and

The like those things I’m not sure the Blazers have that uh W with with chony bips who’s who’s coached um a bunch of bad teams and and hasn’t really gotten the most out of them yet um you get bad you get bad players you end up with a

Bad record so uh that’s that some of that is is not necessarily the record is not necessarily Chon’s fault but I I I wonder I wonder how many players are currently on the team for the Blazers are part of the team when they get good

You know and I think the maybe the Bucks went through this early like in the early Yannis an Tumo years it was like Giannis will be part of what’s next are any of these other dudes going to be here right Jabari Parker Jared Dudley uh like the whole crew Brandon Knight the

Whole crew it’s like how many of these dudes are going to be here when they get good um when you know you you’ve been around the Bucs for for a long time like what was that process like to go from like okay we’ve got this good young player

What can we be like and they went through some coaches to get there from your eyes what is that path like for a rebuilding team it’s not linear it’s not straight it’s a lot of ups and downs and where you’re thinking someone’s going to be the guy things can flip very quickly

Because I remember the Jabari Parker draft and how excited Milwaukee was to get him and thinking like wow we finally got our Batman and jannis can be the robin to Jabari Parker’s Batman which now sounds like like wait what um but that is how it was at that time like

People have to remember that when Giannis was drafted he was everybody like who is this guy people didn’t even expect for him to get any minutes with the Bucks they thought he was going to be stashed overseas they weren’t sure what to make of them he didn’t start

Right away it was a team that they thought were going to be good with a lot of vets but injuries forced a lot of viannis into action I me that’s the season became lost it was just kind of like let these young guys play and even

Back then like at that point in their career jannis and Chris were fighting over the same minutes like they were both slotted in as like a wing at that time period so the two of them were battling over minutes and now they’re a they formed a Duo you know years like

With Jan is growing a little bit more getting a little bit more bulk on them uh a a great you know forward pairing uh so I would say it’s it’s it’s a lot of ups and downs where you think you might know where you’re going and then things

Continue to unfold and you’re like oh well actually this guy is the guy and ironically enough it was a game against the Trailblazers where Yannis dropped I believe it was 44 at that time of career high for him uh and I was like wow I was

Like we actually have a guy in Giannis and it took a few years for me to really say like he’s got it you saw the gradual Improvement um but then once he came out in that season I think it was the Mohawk season of the Giannis uh look it was

Just like this guy is is special and a lot of Trades happened like we thought that maybe Brandon Knight would be the point guard of this team but then we made the uh Michael Carter Williams trade for him and then that didn’t work out and you have to keep reconfiguring

Um so I would say that just it sounds weird to say enjoy it because there a lot of losing going on but those years the 15 win season with the Bucks here with Giannis and Young Chris uh it made the championship that much sweeter because you remember all of the games

That it took to get there you remember the Vets along the way you remember like as you mentioned Jared Dudley Zaza pulia you remember uh Jared bis and all these guys who kind of came before and helped grow the young core that ended up being the Milwaukee Bucks and there were a lot

Of heartbreaking losses before that too before the Bucks were able to get over that hump to the Raptors to the the Celtics and it happens but just try to enjoy the ride for what it is because when the payoff comes and it will come I

Say as the Bucs Fan who just saw their first championship of a lifetime when it comes it’s special yeah that’s the nonlinear thing is a great reminder because I I think the biggest lesson looking at other teams that build is like some sometimes you got to bail on the on on

What the plan is like hey this this was supposed to be it it’s not time to bail and keep going because um because because of the bumps you mentioned uh I I think we did it Camille I think we did it I think we did a good show I think I

I think we can get out of here but here’s what you’re gonna do dear listener come back tomorrow because Dame plays in Portland and on locked on bucks and lock on Blazers we’ll have you covered with a full recap of that one game two of the dock Rivers era game 46

Or something of the scoot Henderson era it’s whole bunch of fun Camille thanks so much for doing this this was this was a blast this was super enjoyable can’t wait till the next time indeed uh come back and listen tell your friends like subscribe all of those things find us on

All platforms free wherever you get Podcast and also on YouTube we appreciate you listening and we’ll talk to you soon

A homecoming that is sure to be strange, emotional, bittersweet and will also include a basketball game. Damian Lillard is making his first trip back to Portland as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks to face the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. So in today’s episode Camille Davis of Locked On Bucks to get the mid-west perspective on what Lillard has done in his first season in green in cream and what his return will mean to both sides.

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