Lakers vs. Bucks will be a showdown of the best the NBA has to offer

Ahead of the biggest and most significant of the NBA regular season’s blockbuster matchups, Giannis Antetokounmpo had plenty to say. True to form for basketball’s giant (yet infallibly humble) superstar, most of it was about other people.

Before his Milwaukee Bucks take on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday, Antetokounmpo talked at length about LeBron James’ looming presence on the other side of the court, issuing a powerful (and amusing) tribute to a man he will soon be dueling.

“For me, that’s one of my goals,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “To be able to play at a high level for the next 10 years. “But he’s about to turn 35 and he’s moving like that, playing like that, playing smart — it’s insane what he’s able to do.

“But he’s LeBron James, you know. He’s different; he’s an alien, so you expect it from him.”

Antetokounmpo and James are yet again duking it out for the league MVP award (or at least, it feels that way in the early portion of the season) and the Greek Freak wants much of what James has: personal accolades, championship rings, widespread acceptance as the best player of recent times. If he was a different personality, this would have been an ideal chance to throw down a verbal marker; to make it clear the challenge is accepted.

But that’s just not him. On Thursday night he will attempt do his talking on the court, and he’ll do it with actions and buckets and rebounds, not words.

Part of what makes the Lakers-Bucks battle so intriguing is the differing characteristics of each team’s star and of the franchises in general. Not a day goes past without the Lakers being at the center of national focus — even more so since Anthony Davis’ arrival turned the team into an overwhelming title favorite.

“@KingJames is the best floor general and set up man in the league.”@Chris_Broussard breaks down his top 5 point guards in the NBA this season. ?⬇️ pic.twitter.com/k8Dl5iwTHl

— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) December 13, 2019

The Bucks, meanwhile, are allowed to quietly go about their business … but what a level of business it is. They are lapping the field in an Eastern Conference that is now far stronger and deeper than in previous years, and Antetokounmpo is locking in career highs in points (31.7 per game) and rebounds (12.8).

For all their differences, the two parties go into Thursday’s dance with identical records of 24-4, with both on the kind of pace that makes 70 wins seem well within the realm of possibility. They’re even each coming off an uncharacteristic loss: the Lakers having been a shell of their usual selves in tumbling to defeat at the Indiana Pacers, while the Bucks came up short against a Dallas Mavericks team missing Luka Doncic.

Other teams will have something to say about this, most notably the Los Angeles Clippers, but there is a sense for many that this is the closest thing we’re going to get to a potential NBA Finals preview.

However, compared to the Lakers and the circus surrounding it, Antetokounmpo gets to live in a state of relative peace. While a 24-4 team can never duck under the radar entirely, the Bucks don’t operate in a vacuum where their every cough and nervous tic is scrutinized.

The Lakers’ loss to Indiana, by comparison, did come under the microscope. On First Things First, FS1’s Nick Wright insisted James’ free throw woes should be a real cause for concern. In Indianapolis, he shot 4-of-8 from the stripe and is 12-for-24 over his past four games.

“The looming issue? The greatest player I have ever seen has a free throw problem that is real,” said Wright, “and he is in his head about it. This is, right now, a real thing for LeBron. He has no rhythm at the line, no confidence at the line, and no routine, which is critical to making free throws.”

On the final offensive possession of the Pacers defeat, James opted to head back out to the three-point line to launch a potential game-winner, instead of making tracks for the basket with Los Angeles down two.

“I’m giving him a D+. The standard is I think he’s the best player in the world. The thing that disappointed me the most last night was that second-to-last play. There was 11 seconds left, that’s still too much time to go for the dagger 3, you were down 2.” — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/IcO7sRgvBH

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) December 18, 2019

According to FOX NBA analyst Chris Broussard, his performance in that game merited no better than a D+.

“The standard is, I think he’s the best player in the world,” Broussard said on Undisputed. “Without AD, you needed more than usual — that’s at least 26 points; he got 20. The thing that disappointed me the most: that second-to-last play, where he took the three.”

In truth, the Lakers have set the bar impossibly high for themselves. Since Davis’ arrival they have been a true force and, at times, looked unbeatable. Primarily because of home court advantage, FOX Bet doesn’t think they’re unstoppable on Thursday, making the Bucks 3.5-points favorites and at -167 on the money line. The Lakers can be backed as +140 underdogs, a position in which they don’t often find themselves.

At the moment, three teams stand alone as betting favorites to win the NBA Finals. The Clippers are still out in front, at +300 to win it all, but the Lakers are close behind at +350, followed by the Bucks at +450.

One game, one night won’t decide the outcome of the campaign. The NBA simply has too many games and too long a season for that. If you’re looking for single games that dictate the outcome of a season and have postseason ramifications, watch the NFL this weekend.

However, the NBA, at this precise moment in time, has two teams who have elevated themselves from the pack, largely because each has a player capable of doing the same thing on an individual level.

They could meet again in June, but for now, basketball’s two primary alphas get to flex their muscles. James and Antetokounmpo are two opposing characters who share a common desire for excellence — and who have surely had this date on their mind for a while.

“The greatest player I’ve ever seen has a free-throw problem that’s real. And LeBron is in his head about it. He has no rhythm, no confidence at the line. … I don’t want to overreact, the Lakers are still the best team in the league.” — @getnickwrightpic.twitter.com/gsKX2z4Kcs

— FS1 (@FS1) December 18, 2019