Everyone seems to have an opinion about the monster three-team trade in the NBA recently that saw Damian Lillard go to the Milwaukee Bucks and Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. For former NBA head coach George Karl, he thinks that when it matters the most, the Bucks would miss Holiday’s services, particularly in the playoffs.

“I think [Damian] Lillard probably makes them more exciting, more explosive, Karl said via SiriusXM NBA Radio. But to be honest with you, in the playoffs, [Jrue] Holiday might be better than Lillard.”

It was surely not easy for the Bucks and their fans to see Holiday depart the team, especially since he played a valuable role in Milwaukee’s NBA championship run in 2021. However, it’s also hard to deny that pairing Lillard with two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo injects serious life into Milwaukee’s aspirations to win the title again. Lillard remains a dangerous offensive weapon, and while he’s not as good of a defender as Holiday is, he’s a bona fide superstar with a place waiting for him in Springfield already.

Flanked by Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, Lillard could find a way to prevent himself from being an easy prey on defense. Offensively, there is not much to question about Lillard’s ability to contribute.

With that trade, the Bucks provide Antetokounmpo a superstar teammate that should make the Greek Freak feel better about Milwaukee’s chances to win a title following an embarrassing early exit in the 2022 NBA Playoffs at the hands of Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.