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The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday named as one of the best in the league
The NBA is littered with dynamic duos that can take over any given game at any stage of the season. From the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to the Denver Nuggets’ championship-winning pairing of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, there’s no shortage of talent.
As the new season looms, two names that stood out were Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Giannis-Jrue duo was one of the most formidable pairings in the entire league, with both players providing consistent offense and defense throughout their respective careers.
Crucial pair
The Milwaukee Bucks’ “Big 3” of Giannis, Jrue, and Khris Middleton was reduced to a duo for most of the campaign last season as Middleton played in just 33 games due to a myriad of injuries. Even with the significant load on their shoulders, Giannis and Holiday flourished and led the team to a 58-win season—good for the best regular season record in the NBA last season.
Although their regular season success did not translate to the postseason, the work Giannis and Holiday did on the floor throughout the season was invaluable and a crucial component of Milwaukee’s success.
“With Khris Middleton battling injuries last season, the pairing of Antetokounmpo and Holiday was more important than ever,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz.
Numbers tell the story
Last season’s MVP race was a heated one, with the award eventually going to the 76ers’ Joel Embiid. However, Giannis had as much claim to it as any of the finalists after averaging 31.1 points on 55 percent shooting, along with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Holiday also became an All-Star with averages of 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
“Both he and Holiday ranked in the 95th percentile or higher in estimated plus-minus last season and 97th percentile or higher in estimated wins and dominated opponents together with the second-highest net rating of this entire list (plus-14.3),” Swartz added.
