Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo erupted for 54 points in Thursday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers. This was his third 50-point game while shooting 75% from the field and equaled NBA legend Michael Jordan, who also had three such games. Notably, the two are only behind All-Time Great Wilt Chamberlain who had 8 such games. It is no secret that Giannis is one of the most dominant players ever. However, winning titles is the only thing that will decide whether he finishes his career on Jordan’s side of the spectrum or Chamberlain’s.

However, the Bucks lost the game despite Giannis’ incredible performance. Damian Lillard‘s absence was a huge blow to the team. After his stellar performance in the previous game against the Detroit Pistons, Lillard missed out because of a calf injury. The 7x NBA All-Star’s blockbuster move to the Bucks from the Portland Trail Blazers was one of the most talked about trades in the offseason. While it brought a lot of excitement, there was also criticism when Jrue Holiday moved to the Boston Celtics. So can Lillard and Giannis prove the doubters wrong and create a dynasty similar to that of MJ’s and Pippen’s?

Michael Jordan had the best #2 in Scottie Pippen

One obvious achievement that separates Michael Jordan from legends like Wilt Chamberlain is his championships. While Jordan has six rings, Chamberlain has two. Even though Chamberlain was practically unstoppable at times, he did not always have a great and reliable duo which arguably reduced his chances of winning more titles. On the other hand, Jordan had a great #2 in NBA legend Scottie Pippen. While some claim MJ would not have won titles without Pippen, some argue Pippen would not have been a Hall of Famer without Jordan.

Nevertheless, both stars complemented each other and helped each other win rings. Pippen was not worried about playing Robin to MJ’s Batman and did his job perfectly. Scottie could have arguably been the main man in almost any other team in the NBA during his prime. He was great on both ends of the court and could make clutch plays.

During Jordan’s first retirement, Pippen and the Chicago Bulls held their own and secured third seed in the Eastern Conference. The 7x NBA All-Star led the team in points, assists, and steals as per Basketball Reference. While he averaged 22 points per game, no other teammate averaged over 16. He also did a great job the next year before Jordan came back in the later part of the season. Even though the Bulls did not win a ring during MJ’s absence, Scottie had certainly proved to everyone that he could lead the team as well.

Pippen and Jordan were the ultimate duo. Both stars could defend anyone and took turns guarding the best player on the opposite end. Pippen’s size also allowed him to defend powerful centers comfortably. Furthermore, MJ knew he could trust Pippen to make clutch shots and decisions whenever he was called upon. This not only gave Michael Jordan confidence, but it also made it hard for opponents to double MJ all the time. They had to worry about Scottie as well. Ultimately, the duo led the Bulls to six titles.

Jrue Holiday’s immense impact

Many fans may argue that Khris Middleton has been the #2 for the Bucks behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. But they were more of a Big 3. Even though Jrue Holiday’s numbers were not far from Middleton’s, the forward plays a bigger role whenever he’s on the court. His partnership with Antetokounmpo was one of the most underrated in the league and was important to their success in 2021. So, Middleton’s injury struggles in the past two seasons were a major blow for the Bucks.

He only played 2 playoff games when the Bucks defended their title. Also, last year, he came back and played all five games in the playoffs, but only played 33 during the regular season. During his absence, Holiday established himself as the Bucks’ second option and helped the team massively. With the added responsibility, the guard’s numbers improved from the previous season. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game last season.

Holiday also had great chemistry with Giannis and had no trouble finding him on the hardwood with his precise passing. The duo was considered one of the best in the league for their interplay and their impact on the team.

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Furthermore, the 2x NBA All-Star is great on the defensive end as well and earned an All-Defensive First Team selection last year. So, it is no wonder a lot of fans are still not happy that Holiday was traded.

Damian Lillard’s partnership with Giannis Antetokounmpo

Damian Lillard is a bigger superstar than Jrue Holiday and arguably Scottie Pippen. Especially in terms of scoring. After joining the Trail Blazers, he soon became their #1 option with his incredible scoring abilities. Lillard secured playoff basketball for eight straight years for the Blazers. He led the team to the Conference Finals in 2019 as well. However, the team was swept by two-straight champions, Golden State Warriors. Year after year, he had made clutch plays and shouldered the offense to lead his team to the win on multiple occasions.

So, when reports of Dame joining the Bucks first came out, there were doubts about whether he would be ready to take a backseat because of Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the Greek Freak soon clarified that he was ready to take a backseat instead, to accommodate Lillard. That is huge coming from a superstar like Giannis. But that’s just one example of his humility and team-first mentality.

Apparently, the 2x NBA MVP and the Bucks have no doubts that Lillard’s addition would help the team massively. He is certainly a huge upgrade to Holiday. The 7x All-Star averaged over 30 points per game last year. He can find teammates just as good as Holiday, if not better. Furthermore, he can be trusted to make huge shots. Now, the Bucks do not have to rely solely on Giannis whenever they desperately need a bucket. His mind-boggling range would come in handy as well. However, Holiday was a better defender.

One of Antetokounmpo’s biggest shortcomings is his 3-point shooting. This is where Lillard complements Giannis a lot. Now, the Bucks have a sharp and clutch shooter in their ranks waiting to unleash from the arc. This gives their opponents a huge headache and gives the Bucks options. Furthermore, the duo’s two-man game would be unstoppable when they are on the same wavelength. Even though it is still early in the season, we have seen the two work in tandem in pick and rolls to great effect a few times.

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With Antetokounmpo’s inside dominance and Lillard’s range, they have all the tools necessary to be the best duo in the league. So, Lillard can be the Pippen to Antetokounmpo’s Jordan, in their pursuit of titles. It is Freak Time in Milwaukee!

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