MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Giannis Antetokounmpo鈥檚 blunt response to a question about whether the Milwaukee Bucks鈥� offseason moves could get them back to the conference finals or NBA Finals underscored how far they鈥檝e fallen the last couple of years.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to get out of the first round,鈥� the said during the Bucks鈥� Media Day event Monday. 鈥淟et鈥檚 start with that.鈥�
The Bucks in 2021 but have won just one playoff series in the three years since. They鈥檙e coming off a tumultuous 2022-23 season that included acquiring star guard just before training camp, at midseason, losing Antetokounmpo for the playoffs due to a and falling to the Indiana Pacers in the of the playoffs.
Now that Antetokounmpo鈥檚 had a year to adjust to playing alongside Lillard, the Bucks believe they can reassert themselves as championship contenders. Lillard, a seven-time all-NBA guard who didn鈥檛 receive a single last season, said he feels 鈥渨ay, way better鈥� going into this season.
鈥淚 do know that my teammates and my coaches, they鈥檙e going to get the real version of me this year,鈥� Lillard said.
The Bucks added veteran free agents Taurean Prince, Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr. to boost their depth. They also are healthy again, for the most part, as they prepare to begin training camp.
Khris Middleton, who has been limited to a total of 88 regular-season games over the last two seasons due to a variety of injuries, said he鈥檚 feeling better after undergoing surgeries on both of his ankles. Rivers said Middleton will participate in camp but won鈥檛 be doing a lot of live action early on.
鈥淚 will be on the court as much as possible during this week, so we won鈥檛 be playing catch-up as much,鈥� Middleton said.
If the Bucks do regain their status as one of the league鈥檚 top teams, an event that took place during Milwaukee鈥檚 most recent playoff loss will serve as the launching point. Lillard spoke Monday about a conversation he and Antetokounmpo had before a playoff game that both were missing due to injuries.
鈥淓verybody went out to warm up, and me and him were the only two people in the locker room,鈥� Lillard said. 鈥淚 just told him, I was like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen, but me and you have got to get connected. We鈥檝e got to get something done.鈥� He agreed. Once he agreed, the conversation went a whole different way after that. It became a much more open conversation.鈥�
The two of them didn鈥檛 work out together during the offseason, as Antetokounmpo had a busy summer that included playing for Greece and getting married. But they did communicate frequently and believe they got to know each other better.
Lillard said it all started with that locker-room chat.
鈥淔rom there it just went into the summer, just communication,鈥� Lillard said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 more important than us getting on the court and working out together and all that stuff. You can work out until you鈥檙e blue in the face. As soon as I say something in a game or he says something in a game and it doesn鈥檛 register or it鈥檚 not being received, then it鈥檚 not going to work how you want to work. I think that communication was open, and I think that was the most important thing.鈥�
The Bucks鈥� desire to improve their cohesiveness after a season of upheaval was reflected in their decision to leave town and hold their training camp at Irvine, California.
Rivers said he was just 10 days into his Bucks coaching tenure when he decided the team would be better off getting away for training camp and having more time to eat, work and travel together.
鈥淣o families, no friends around,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淛ust us. I think that鈥檚 good for our team.鈥�
The chemistry should be better this year in part because Antetokounmpo and Lillard have spent the last year getting to know each other as teammates. They're discovering how they can bring out the best in each other and produce the most team success.
Antetokounmpo acknowledged that figuring out how each of them should adapt can be tricky because each of them had played so long and had enjoyed so much success before they were teammates. Antetokounmpo turns 30 in December, while Lillard is 34.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely hard 鈥� at this moment of our careers to kind of change the habits you鈥檝e created,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淏ut if you want to win, you have to do so. I think we both 鈥� me, him and the rest of our team 鈥� are willing to do whatever it takes to win.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
