The Milwaukee Bucks made one of the biggest trades in the NBA coming into the 2023-24 campaign when they acquired Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. The identity of their team would change, as Lillard’s skill set and style of play differed greatly from the point guard he was replacing, Jrue Holiday.
Milwaukee wanted to supercharge their offense, making it even more difficult for opponents to game plan against them. Too often Giannis Antetokounmpo was left to do everything for the Bucks offensively, turning them one-dimensional and easier to defend.
Lillard’s presence, in theory, would change that. He has plenty of experience carrying the load as a solo show in his career and the two could be a deadly duo. Mix in Khris Middleton as the No. 3 option and the Bucks had something cooking.
While we haven’t seen that trio as much as possible during the regular season because of injuries, when they are on the court together, things click. Their dominance on offense more than makes up for any loss of defense the team has with Lillard replacing Holiday.
As shared by Frank Madden on X, Milwaukee is dominant with Lillard, Middleton and Antetokounmpo on the court. There isn’t a better three-man trio in the NBA, as they are getting the job done on both ends of the court.
Out of three-man groupings with at least 600 minutes played, that trio is first in offense with an offensive rating of 125.9, first in net rating at +18.0 and in the top 10 percent of defense with a 107.9 defensive rating.
Taking a look at the entire list has to be encouraging for the Bucks and their fans. Not only does that trio get the job done, but four different groupings appear on the list. And as Madden pointed out, there are five Bucks trios in the top 14 of the NBA.
Heading into the postseason, when the game becomes more of a halfcourt chess match, rotations shrink and stars shine brightest, the Bucks are in a great spot. They have multiple players who can get the job done creating offensively and are just as strong on the other end of the court.
With some time to now learn Doc Rivers’ system, things are falling into place for Milwaukee. They are one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA when healthy and will be in the mix to play in the NBA Finals.
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