Ideal partner for Giannis?

[parsnips33]

Given just how unique Giannis is, I've been wondering a lot about what would be the ideal star to pair with him. Whether it's a specific player (Damian Lillard, Paul George) or a player archetype (stretch 5, playmaking wing) who do you think is the ideal second star to pair with the Greek Freak?

[The-Power]

Curry or someone in his mold (e.g. Lillard). A PG who can handle the ball and create on the ball for himself and others but likewise proves to be useful off the ball and a threat as a shooter.

[Prez]

Steph is the perfect Giannis teammate. A high level shooting/shot creating wing who can play on or off ball would be great too. PG13, pre injury Hayward, etc. Annoyingly enough, Middleton pre hamstring injury used to be someone like that, but his defensive regression & offensive tendencies the last couple years have kinda made things weird.

[Dupp]

Steph and he’s generally the answer for any player you ask this question about.

[uberhikari]

Any perimeter scorer. Giannis's gravity inside the paint warps the defense so much that any capable perimeter scorer can both take advantage of that gravity and simultaneously shift the defense's focus to the perimeter allowing Giannis easier access to the paint.

[Gooner]

Wing like Khris Middleton and big man like Brook Lopez. Giannis has ideal team for him. Now he has to deliver.

[MelbourneBuck]

Wing like Khris Middleton and big man like Brook Lopez. Giannis has ideal team for him. Now he has to deliver.

Middleton has been average all year. You'd know that if you watched the Bucks as much as you pretend to.

[KGtabake]

Imagine Klay Thompson instead of the overrated Middleton. I think that the Bucks will have a problem in the playoffs because they have good role players but none of them is exactly "ideal". Middleton has one good stretch of games(playoffs last season) in 6 years.
Thompson would have made a deadly combo with Giannis.

[kendogg]

If we are talking which player of all time results in the absolute highest individual stats for Giannis, I'd say Steve Nash. A PG who can push the tempo, knows how to make his high flying forwards look good (2008 Amare is a historic season in terms of TS%) and he can shoot well enough to space the floor. From current players only, Curry or Harden. Harden/Giannis pick and roll would be sooo nasty.

If we are talking who gives him the best chance to win from current NBA players, I think you can't really go wrong with any of the top players: Curry, Harden, LeBron, Durant. Great players know how to work together, and position really doesn't matter too much, though the less skill overlap the better I guess in terms of team versatility and not having a team kryptonite. So probably a guard or a center over a forward, but I'd still take LeBron or Durant over a lesser talent at another position.

[MisterHibachi]

Kyrie. Wonder what could’ve been if the Cavs has taken the Bucks offer over the Celtics’.

[feyki]

Bledsoe? I think they're good on the court together.

[donkeylips]

the splash brothers are ideal teammates for a lot of players

[Dr Positivity]

Curry but I like the Nash answer as well. Giannis is Marion and Amare combined. Bird or Dirk would be interesting

[Dupp]

Kyrie. Wonder what could’ve been if the Cavs has taken the Bucks offer over the Celtics’.

That would mean no brogdan Middleton and maybe they don’t pick up Bledsoe..

either way I don’t think that team is better than current bucks.


For the cavs though that would have been nice. Probably win game 1 of the finals.

[lilroddyb]

Nikola Jokic. I think he would fit really well with Giannis, spreads the floor and helps out with playmaking and the pick and rolls/pops between them would be insane

[kendogg]

Nikola Jokic. I think he would fit really well with Giannis, spreads the floor and helps out with playmaking and the pick and rolls/pops between them would be insane

You think Jokic is a better pick and roll partner for Giannis than Harden or Curry?

[AussieBuck]

Wing like Khris Middleton and big man like Brook Lopez. Giannis has ideal team for him. Now he has to deliver.

Middleton has been average all year. You'd know that if you watched the Bucks as much as you pretend to.

Dude has a hilarious hate boner for Giannis. He's starting to panic that Giannis is going to overshadow his favourite guy in the playoffs.

[bledredwine]

Reggie Miller would have been insane. That’d be a defensive nightmare with Reggie moving around screens alongside Giannis. You could fairly easily build a championship-caliber team around those two.

Of current players.... I really don’t like him but why not Harden? They are both ball dominant but they would be a sick duo with that drive-kick double threat and Harden’s shooting.

Ideally, you want a player who’s elite at moving around well and hits crazy threes. If he can run the floor, that’s a bonus.

[lilroddyb]

Nikola Jokic. I think he would fit really well with Giannis, spreads the floor and helps out with playmaking and the pick and rolls/pops between them would be insane

You think Jokic is a better pick and roll partner for Giannis than Harden or Curry?

No they would be better especially Steph which I think would fit best with Giannis. Nikola Jokic is not nearly as ball dominant as Harden and he will drag the frontcourt out of the paint for Giannis so Jokic might be better fit with Giannis than Harden even if Harden is the better player

[AIfan3]

Any perimeter scorer. Giannis's gravity inside the paint warps the defense so much that any capable perimeter scorer can both take advantage of that gravity and simultaneously shift the defense's focus to the perimeter allowing Giannis easier access to the paint.

This. Giannis is a blank check of a superstar. Can legit play all 5 positions and still maintain superstar level production and team success (we've seen him handle full PG duties for a season) relative to talent on his team. Just find a couple of shooters at any position and he'll do the rest.