By Frank W. Gillespie | Posted 4 months ago
It was never a secret that theMilwaukee Buckswere eager to keepGiannis Antetokounmpowearing Good Land Green, and thatDamian Lillardwanted out ofPortland. Lillard pushed hard for a trade to the Miami Heat, but those trade talks fizzled and ultimately fell apart. It was looking more and more like two-time league MVP Antetokounmpo would likely be playing his final season as a Buck, and that Lillard would remain on the Blazers heading into NBA Training Camp.
Bostonemerged late in the game as a possible destination for Lillard, and then Milwaukee seemingly came out of nowhere to acquire the superstar point guard.The three-team blockbuster deal that the Bucks, Blazers, and Phoenix Suns struck last Wednesday altered the NBA’s power structure significantly. Milwaukee became immediate favorites to win the NBA title.
The Milwaukee Bucks are now the FAVORITES to win the NBA Title after acquiring Damian Lillard 🏆pic.twitter.com/kG87ehcELg
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) September 27, 2023
Since that somewhat shocking trade transpired, there has been considerable debate regarding which team now has the best 1-2 punch in the league. Here are the top three dynamic duos entering what projects to be a highly entertaining 2023-24 NBA season.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo & Damian Lillard,Milwaukee Bucks
Antetokounmpo wanted to see that the Bucks were serious about contending for another championship, and the Milwaukee brass delivered. Both Antetokounmpo and Lillard are in their primes, and the rest of the league has reason to be concerned. At least on paper, these two superstars are the most dangerous duo in the NBA.
When healthy, Antetokounmpo is one of the most dominant forces ever to grace an NBA court. “The Greek Freak” performed at an MVP-caliber level last season, averaging 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 5.7 APG. Lillard is one of the best clutch sharpshooters in the game, shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc for his career.
“Logo Lillard” ranks in the top-20 all-time in three-pointers made, and set a career-high in scoring with 32.2 PPG last season. Lillard has gone on record recently suggesting that a pick and roll executed by him and Antetokounmpo would be virtuallyunguardable.
Damian Lillard believes that a pick & roll with him and Giannis Antetokounmpo would be unguardable
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 2, 2023"I definitely thought about it and i just don't know how you handle that"
(h/t
@BasketballOnX ) pic.twitter.com/dvUt0qBW4q
It will be fascinating to see the NBA’s new power couple in action. If the hype on paper translates well to the court, we may be witnessing the next iteration of Shaq &Kobe.
2.Nikola Jokic&Jamal Murray,Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were knocked out of the top stop when Giannis and Lillard hooked up in Milwaukee. Jokic, a two-time league MVP and NBA champion himself, is no slouch. “The Joker” is a triple-double machine who seems to improve the overall quality of his game every year. Jokic narrowly missedaveraging a triple-double all of last season, finishing with 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 9.8 APG.
Murray demonstrated tremendous grit and talent in 2022-23, returning after more than a year away due to a knee injury. “The Blue Arrow” averaged 20 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 4.0 RPG, engaging in late-game heroics and “clutchery” along the way. Jokic and Murray gelled extremely well, and it led to the Nuggets’ first-ever NBA championship. Is this tandem talented good enough to fuel a repeat in Denver? Only time will tell. Either way, Jokic and Murray deliver a deadly 1-2 punch, and are not out of the conversation.
Who will be the best NBA duo in the league this year? 🤔@ShannonSharpe: Jokic and Murray@stephenasmith: Dame and Giannis pic.twitter.com/8MhsPY1qL3
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 3, 2023
3.Jayson Tatum&Jaylen Brown,Boston Celtics
Over the last six seasons together, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led the Boston Celtics to four Conference Finals. “The Jays” reached the NBA Finals once during this impressive stretch, losing to the Golden State Warriors 4-2 in 2022. There was speculation that Brown would be leaving, but he signed a record-breaking contract to remain in Boston. The Celtics made a few more heavy-duty moves in the offseason, and are now primed for another serious run at an NBA championship.
Tatum and Brown are positioned for greatness yet again, and should still thrive as a duo despite having new mouths to feed (Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday). In 2022-23, Tatum became the first Celtic to average more than 30 points in a season, and Brown averaged 26.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.5 APG while consistently playing lock-down defense. Look for Tatum and Brown to click it into high-gear and reach another level this season. The Celtics’ Quest for Banner No. 18 is in full-effect mode.
Sadly Tatum & Brown is still the best duopic.twitter.com/XQB9S01MRY
— CELTICS ☘️ BANNER 18 (@BiggLynch) September 28, 2023
Honorable Mention:
~Kevin Durant&Devin Booker-Phoenix Suns
~Steph Curry&Klay Thompson-Golden State Warriors
~LeBron James&Anthony Davis-Los Angeles Lakers
~Luka Doncic&Kyrie Irving-Dallas Mavericks
