The in-form Milwaukee Bucks ended their last game of the year with a win. The Wisconsin team took on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Friday night game and registered a comfortable 111-119 win. But, an interesting play during the third quarter paved the way for a new starting line-up for the Bucks, leaving Damian Lillard in a tough spot.
7x All-Star Lillard replaced Jrue Holiday to take up the crucial point guard spot for the Bucks. Importantly, after the trade, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame Time formed a great partnership and kept the franchise afloat in the top of the Eastern Conference. However, there seems to be a possible change in the offing. Let’s find out more about it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo puts Dame Time in a tough spot
A particular play from 7′ 1 tall Brook Lopez made the Bucks superstar think about changing the starting line-up. During the 9th-minute mark in the third quarter, Lopez facilitated a lob dunk for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Importantly, in that play, Lopez, who usually plays the center role, clocked in as a point guard.
The story doesn’t end here, as it made Giannis talk about altering the line-up in the upcoming game. Impressed with Lopez’s performance, the Greek Freak revealed that the team would start the 35-year-old as a point guard in the starting line-up and push down Damian Lillard to 5th minute, reported Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Giannis said, “We should start the game with Brook at the point guard and Dame at the five.”
After the game, I asked Giannis Antetokounmpo about this play and he had an idea for a new starting lineup.
"We should start the game with Brook at the point guard and Dame at the five," Antetokounmpo said with a smile. https://t.co/ziCnzGli2B
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) December 30, 2023
In the last weeks, the NBA has witnessed alterations in starting line-ups in multiple franchises. Some of them have worked out well for the team as well.
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The important question is, will it work for the Bucks?
Will the new line-up work for the Dubs?
Two of the most significant changes in starting line-ups within the league include Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. After a series of disappointing performances from Andrew Wiggins, forced Steve Kerr to replace him with rookie Brandin Podziemski. Following that, the team produced a 5-game winning streak.
On the other hand, the Clippers pushed former MVP Russell Westbrook to the bench to accommodate James Harden, with whom the team had a bad start. However, since the change in the line-up, they won 8 out of their last 10 games.
However, in the case of the Bucks, the possibility of the proposed change working is doubtful because, in the above-mentioned examples, both teams had poor records. Whereas in the Bucks’ case, they are already among the table toppers.
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What do you make of the proposed change in the starting line-up? Let us know in the comments below.
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