On September 27, the Portland Trailblazers sent their star player, Damian Lillard, packing to the Milwaukee Bucks to team up with MVP and All-Star Giannis Ateteokumpo. In a steal three-team trade, the Milwaukee Bucks were able to give up merely Jrue Holiday and future draft picks for one of the most talented generational players of our time to create one of the most anticipated and terrifying duos since Shaq and Kobe.
Bucks’ president Peter Feigin stated following the trade, “When you have the rare opportunity to pair one of the premier NBA players with a highly versatile roster with lofty goals, you go for it. Moreover, we are thrilled to welcome seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard to the Bucks.” The dynamic duo that the Milwaukee front office has assembled is unlike any seen in the 21st century of basketball.
Through Giannis’ 10 career seasons in the NBA, his talents have never been matched with a player nearly to the caliber of Damian Lillard. However, his dominance and ability to take over a game has led him to personal success through accolades, success in playoff wins and even an NBA Finals Championship and Finals MVP. Despite all this success, the best player Anteekoumpo has played with is three-time all-star Kris Middleton.
On the other hand, in Portland, Damian Lilard’s loyalty to the Portland Trailblazers has been the defining factor in his career. His constant personal success never quite translates to his ability to carry his team down the stretch of extended seasons and playoffs. Despite his impressive seven all-star appearances, these accolades only account for 22 playoff wins in 11 years and not a single Finals appearance. Nevertheless, this failure is heavily blamed on Portland’s front office’s ability to surround Damian Lillard with star or supporting players. The front office never seemed to put Lillard in a position to win, and in his 11-year career, he was paired up with only one all-star. However, his decision to leave also raises the question of players’ loyalty and the importance of rings over loyalty in the NBA.
The age-old debate of securing an NBA Championship and defining and cementing your name in history has heavily influenced and tarnished the game of basketball that we see today. Of 46 players who have made seven or more all-NBA appearances, only 13 have not secured a ring. The basketball world views these players as guys with great careers who could never do the job. This mindset of Championships has created a toxic, superpowered team-building league that attracts stars to stars rather than stars to cities.
Alongside this effect of superstar-building teams, it is up to fans to predict the success of this future duo. With all eyes on the East, Giannis stated his expectations and goals for the season, saying they are “going for a championship” and “on the same page.” With all the talk to back the Greek Freak’s statements, numbers throughout history also equate and justify his beliefs.
Out of all NBA all-star duos in history, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antejomupo are among the top 10 in individual box plus-minus score (a statistic that accounts for player’s negative and positive stats recorded in games). Although this statistic does not always lead to a championship, as shown by the Brooklyn Net’s attempt to create a super-team, Milwaukee’s approach to building a team is unlike any other in the past 20 years. The combination of a deadly outside sharpshooter who spaces the floor and draws defenses to the perimeter and a paint beast who sucks the entire defense under the rim differentiates themselves from any team since Shaq and Kobe. Their duo had a different perimeter offense than this team possesses. Alongside this, Giannis’ three Defensive Play of the Year awards have made him one of the most deadly paint defenders in the league’s history. This combination of talent is different not due to the amount of talent brought to the table but the widespread lethal attributes that the team forces upon defenses to adjust, making this duo bound for success.
Although this destined super-team seems bound for a ring, how does this affect Giannis and Damian Lily’s careers? An 11-year loyal veteran of the Trailblazers could be seen as a ring chaser. On the other hand, does Giannis’ rings weigh differently with the addition of a superstar? The storm East has been brewing is finally erupting with the newest addition to the NBA Finals picture.
