Former Bucks Guard Explains Biggest Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard Issue

Jeremy Hanna | Nov 6, 2024

Mar 24, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Once one of the best teams in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks have now lost six games in a row, leaving them with one of the worst records in the league.

This is in spite of having superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and guard Damian Lillard, arguably two of the best players in basketball today.

A two-time NBA MVP and former NBA Champion, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game last season.

Meanwhile, Lillard, a former Rookie of the Year and eight-time All-Star, averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and one steal per game.

Having both players should be a match made in happen. So why isn't it working? Former Milwaukee guard Jeff Teague thinks he knows the answer: Jrue Holiday.

The Bucks acquired Lillard as part of a three-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics, which sent Holiday to Boston. What resulted was the Celtics winning the NBA Championship and Milwaukee being eliminated in the first round.

“What made Jrue Holiday so special to play with Giannis was Jrue can play any position," Teague said, per Hayden Cilley of ClutchPoints. "So if you go tell Jrue right now ‘set a screen and roll', you don’t ever see point guards doing that. Jrue will go set a screen on the ball right now with Jayson Tatum and roll in the gap and they hit him and he’ll play like a big.”

While Lillard is an excellent player, Teague noted that he doesn't necessarily operate in the same way on the court as Holiday.

“So, he (Holiday) was like a Swiss Army Knife when it came to a point guard,” Teague said. “Dame is a real point guard, I need the ball to initiate the offense. Giannis is a 6’10 point guard. He needs the ball to initiate the offense. So that combination of the two is kind of weird."

“They’re going to have games like this just because they’re so good where they get 30 points and Giannis gets 30 points. Just because they’re top 75 players they’re going to do that but the combination of the two just doesn’t fit well. Giannis needs like a Jrue Holiday.”

In the 2020-21 season, Holiday averaged 18.3 points, 6.8 assists, 4.5 total rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. While this wasn't as impressive as Lillard's numbers on paper, it was the perfect counterpart for Antetokounmpo, who went on to win Finals MVP.

There's no doubt that Lillard and Antetokounmpo are excellent players and can put up points if needed. They just need to figure out a way to help each other more.

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