Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks receive a stern warning from Boston Celtics head coach: “Be Careful What You Ask For.”
While some teams in the league are already concerned about the newly created Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard pairing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is unconcerned.
The shot-caller for the Celtics recently gave a brutally honest response to the Bucks’ sizable blockbuster transaction during an appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast, The Old Man & The Three. It’s clear that Mazzulla isn’t worried at all at this point.
Joe Mazzulla’s Message for Milwaukee Bucks
The fact that Dame is a generational talent is acknowledged by Mazzulla. He also acknowledges that Milwaukee is currently one of the NBA’s top teams. However, this does not imply that he will be tossing and turning at night fretting about what the Bucks will do this year:
“Damian Lillard is a fantastic athlete. They work well together. Mazzulla added, “We don’t have time to think about that.
“… I was really hoping for the top seed. Take a look at how the No. 1 seed fared the previous season. So I would caution you to be careful what you ask for.
That being said, Mazzulla undoubtedly has a point. One of the biggest upsets in recent memory was when Milwaukee stole the No. 1 seed away from Boston last season, only to lose to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. Coach Joe remembers that clearly.
Joe Mazzulla Focused on Celtics
While it is impossible for Mazzulla to forecast the Bucks’ season, he can declare with certainty that the Celtics have had the “best month of preseason since I’ve been here.”
The 35-year-old coach is now entirely focused on his own group of players. The rest is just background noise.
“One, I’m doing the players a disservice if I spend more time worrying about those things and not appreciating what we have,” he said. “Secondly, I won’t be as efficient at what we do.
“So yeah, playing against them will be a nightmare. But it’s also my responsibility to make playing against us a nightmare. We’ll see what transpires if there are two nightmares.
People, mark your calendars. The first of these two teams’ four scheduled encounters this season is set for November 22. That will undoubtedly be a nice one.
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