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The in-form Milwaukee Bucks face the struggling Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena in an enticing 2020-21 NBA game. MVP (Most Valuable Player) candidates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are set to duel for the first time this season.
The Milwaukee Bucks are on a roll, winning four matches in a row; the Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, ended the Utah Jazz's 11-game winning streak, but have lost consecutive games.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Denver Nuggets - Combined Starting 5
The Milwaukee Bucks seem to be improving with every game after an underwhelming start to the season. They have beaten opponents with ease, winning games by huge margins.
A Top-10 candidate for the MVP award this year, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been pulling off crazy performances this season. The league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is dominating opponents and is set to climb up the MVP ladder in the next set of rankings.
His counterpart, Nikola Jokic hasn't been far off in terms of producing individual moments of brilliance.
The Denver Nuggets big man is leading his team in all departments this season; he is scoring 27.2 points, providing 8.6 assists, claiming 11.5 rebounds, sneaking in 1.7 steals and making 0.7 blocks per game to emerge as a top candidate in the MVP race. The Denver Nuggets have been disappointing, though, which might hamper their star player's chances of winning the award this year.
Jokic's battle with Antetokounmpo should be an interesting one; however, the Denver Nuggets will need to play as a team to beat the Milwaukee Bucks.
On that note, let us have a look at the five best players from either team in a hypothetical combined lineup of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets.
Point Guard - Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
Jrue Holiday was added to the Milwaukee Bucks this season to provide some extra support to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, and that's exactly what the former New Orleans Pelicans floor general has been doing.
The exquisite ball-handler has been excellent in ensuring the Milwaukee Bucks keep up their good performances and has been brilliant so far playing in the point guard position.
Quite evidently, that has allowed the Milwaukee Bucks to rest Giannis Antetokounmpo during games unlike last season so that he stays fresh once the playoffs commence.
Shooting Guard - Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
Nikola Jokic's partner in crime at the Denver Nuggets, Jamal Murray is a must-have in this combined lineup.
Despite putting in some good shifts, Jamal Murray has underperformed this season compared to his outings in the Orlando Bubble.
Jamal Murray, however, is still the second-best player behind Nikola Jokic on the Denver Nuggets roster. If he gets going along with Jokic, the duo will be hard customers to deal with for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Small Forward - Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton is undoubtedly the second-best player behind Giannis Antetokounmpo on the team's roster.
His shooting in general has been quite spectacular to watch; the forward has been a beast from behind the arc, shooting at 46.5% and has a field goal percentage of 52%.
These two aspects of his game make him a special player and a must-have for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Power Forward - Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
The Greek-Freak is an undisputed automatic starter for the Milwaukee Bucks. The 2-time league MVP has been something close to genius this season, nailing nearly every aspect of the game.
Without a doubt, every team that creates a game-plan against the Milwaukee Bucks, formulate is a separate plan just for Giannis Antetokounmpo, such is his stature in the league since the last few years.
The Milwaukee Bucks star currently ranks sixth on the NBA MVP race but is likely to climb up the rankings in the coming weeks.
Center - Nikola Jokic
'The Joker' has really stepped it up a couple of notches this season. The so-called funniest player in the NBA is now being discussed as a potential MVP candidate amongst some of the best players in the league right now.
Nikola Jokic will prove to be a massive player in the coming years, and the Denver Nuggets will have to make sure he stays happy; losing a player of his quality would be a huge blow for the Nuggets.
