The Milwaukee Bucks are atop the Eastern Conference thanks in large part to Jrue Holiday’s strong performances this season. He has been so spectacular that Kevin Garnett recently crowned him the best player on the roster.
KG&PP pic.twitter.com/38aoacucXC
— James Burnes (@JamesBurnes8) March 19, 2023
“He’s the Bucks best player right now,” the retired legend said on his podcast.
It was quite a surprising take from Garnett and one that had his former teammate Paul Pierce adamantly disagreeing. However, the former league MVP explained that Holiday has been better in the second half of the 2022-23 season.
“Jrue Holiday is f—— leading the pack when it comes to the Bucks,” Garnett stated. “That’s what I’m saying. [Antetokounmpo] was out a couple games.”
When considering Antetokounmpo’s and Holiday’s impacts, it’s safe to say that the Greek Freak has been more valuable to the Bucks this campaign.
The seven-time All-Star is averaging 31.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while leading the NBA in usage percentage. To further bolster his case as the Bucks’ best player, Antetokounmpo has led Milwaukee to a 41-14 record whenever he suits up. On the other hand, the squad is just 9-6 when he is sidelined.
His ability to lead the Bucks to the top of the standings has also helped him re-emerge in the MVP race and give Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic a run for their money. If he were to get enough votes, Antetokounmpo would take home his third MVP award.
Still, it’s hard to discount what Holiday has done for Milwaukee. At 32 years old, he has shown that he can still keep up with the finest backcourt players in the league.
His averages of 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest this season have been instrumental to the Bucks’ ascent to the top, which has included their current 21-3 run since late January.
The debate between who is better or more valuable between the two players might be good fodder for the media.
But Milwaukee is surely not thinking about that because the franchise has its sights set on bringing home its second championship in three seasons. To achieve that goal, the Bucks will need both Antetokounmpo and Holiday to continue their dominance.
