7. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Heading into the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, it's no surprise that there are many across the league that are "down" on the Milwaukee Bucks. Part of that is due to how much the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo experienced left much to be desired. You can blame injuries or the lack of a true offseason together; the bottom line was that the Bucks disappointed last year in large part because the Lillard-Giannis duo didn't exactly boom as perhaps the front office believed it would when they pulled the trigger on the team.
On paper, the Lillard and Giannis duo should excel. And it's actually something we did see work at times this past season. However, I do believe that if this duo is going to work, it's going to happen this season. With a full offseason under their belts, there's no reason for Lillard and Giannis to not click this season.
And that's what I believe is going to transpire, which is the biggest reason why I still have this duo high up on this list. Lillard may have just one or two years of high-quality "prime" play left in his career. If it doesn't click this season with Giannis, it probably never will.