Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of chatter, most of it misguided and out of context, about the Milwaukee Bucks' decision to move on from Jrue Holiday.
That talk certainly will not be going anywhere, with Holiday recently helping the Boston Celtics earn their 18th title in franchise history. With the win, Holiday is now a two-time NBA champion, having, of course, helped the Milwaukee Bucks win it all back in 2021 before winning this one.
Now, Holiday has joined Denver Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the only two players in the 2020s to win multiple rings, per StatMuse. KCP first won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and then the Denver Nuggets in 2023. These two stand alone on a prestigious list.
Several Milwaukee Bucks will take aim at making this list soon
Several players remaining from the title team, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, could join these two very soon if all goes according to plan.
The Bucks know what they have to do to get back there. First and foremost, they need to stay healthy. The team was incredibly banged up all season long, and it was at its worst in the NBA Playoffs, with all three stars battling injuries simultaneously. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't even take the court for one second in the postseason. That obviously hurt this team tremendously.
Secondly, this team has to tweak the roster to combat the current rise of athleticism and quickness stemming from youth in the game today. On top of that, they need to bulk up their defense. Boston is a prime example of how good a team can be when every single player is bought in on that side of the basketball court.
If they make the proper moves to patch these roster holes, a few recognizable Bucks could join KCP and Holiday soon. For now, it's all about the waiting game. Even with the proper context, it still stings to see Holiday win a title with a prominent rival, but all the Bucks can do is gear up to aim to dethrone them next season.
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