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The epitome of hard work, Giannis Antetokounmpo has come a long way from being a young Greek rookie to one of the most dominant players in the NBA. He has not only taken the Bucks to a new height this season but also raised the level of his game.
The 2018-19 NBA season saw him start 72 games, out of which 56 were won and 16 lost. He had 54 double-doubles and five triple-doubles, dominating both the ends of the floor. His numbers are even more insane. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and shot with a field goal percentage of 57.8%. He converted the free throws at a rate of 72.9% and had a PER of 30.9. Except for the free throw percentage, every other stat is better than his career average in the respective category.
However, his offensive abilities overshadow what he brings defensively to his team. It is not his offence that makes him great but also his defensive grittiness that he puts in night after night.
Here are three main reasons why Giannis should win this years' Defensive Player of the Year award.
#3 One of the best rim protectors
To explain this point, I am going to take you back to the Bucks-76ers game that took place back in April. Joel Embiid took a cut to the basket after a screen from his player and went for a smooth finish. Giannis, on the other side, took a hop, covered the ground, and welcomed Embiid at the basket. Embiid saw Giannis coming and tried to go hard at the basket, but it was too late. Giannis protected the ring with a brutal block on Embiid who was seen lying on the ground exclaiming in pain.
Check out the video below:
Giannis is usually guarding the weakest perimeter player of the other team. This gives him the flexibility to survey around the court using his length and agility. Whether a player is cutting to the basket or he is on a fast break run, Giannis is always there to welcome him.
#2 Took Bucks to the best record in the East
If we talk about the regular this season, Bucks were a dominant force and the most consistent team. They outscored opponents at home, the credit for which goes to not only their offence but also the defence.
The Bucks did not let the opponents score big numbers on them. Their defensive framework, which had Lopez in the centre and Giannis as the patroller was difficult to crack for others. Bucks stormed past every opponent that came their way until the NBA Finals, where they met the Raptors. Giannis and the Bucks dominated the first two games against the Raps and took a 2-0 lead in the series. However, Kawhi and the Raptors got the better of him in the next four games.
If it were not to the defensive abilities of Giannis, Bucks would have never been such a dominant force this season.
#1 The hidden stats
Giannis had 92 steals and 110 blocks this season, which makes it around 1.3 and 1.5 of them per game respectively. With that, he also had 739 defensive rebounds this season which puts him at the second place in the category. But these stats just scratch the surface.
Let's look at some of the other stats as well. Giannis had an excellent defensive field goal percentage (40.1) among the players who faced the most number of shots. He topped the Player Efficiency rating with 30.9, leaving James Harden at the second place. With a defensive rating of 99.4, which is second in the league, he had third best defensive win shares (5.5). His defensive Box Plus/Minus is 5.0, which is equal to the table leader, Rudy Gobert (5.0).
These are not just stats, they also prove how big of an impact this guy had on the league. He inevitably deserves both the MVP and DPOY this year.
Guess the Lakers players!
