After Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler scored 40 points in a first-game win over the Milwaukee Bucks, players are beginning to learn the credentials of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The defensive player of the year did not face Butler, but that may say even more about Antetokounmpo.
An All-Star reportedly told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that Giannis “is not a lockdown defender arresting other stars,” meaning he should not have been named the league’s most productive defender.
Antetokounmpo won 75 of the hundred first-place steering votes to win the 2019-2020 Defensive Player of the Year award, well ahead of Anthony Davis in the position at the moment with 14 votes for the top position.
Khris Middleton defended Butler in Monday’s game and handles the most productive players on the perimeter, although Antetokounmpo still plays an important defensive role for Milwaukee.
In addition to his 29.5 problems consistent with the game, he averaged 13.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 game-consistent blocks.
Advanced stats also told much of the story, as the leader led the NBA in terms of defensive win percentage (5.0), plus-minus defensive box (4.1) and defensive odds (97), according to the Basketball Reference.
Milwaukee had the NBA’s number one defense, and the largest unit when Antetokounmpo was on the ground.
Although the anonymous player would possibly have other criteria for the defensive player of the year, the variety did justify it.
Now it’s up to the Bucks to figure out how to slow Butler down for the second game.