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The NBA reboot hasn’t treated the Milwaukee Bucks well. They have had a series of embarrassing losses in the Orlando bubble.
It began with a loss in the seeded games to a depleted Brooklyn Nets team. They were then attacked by the Orlando Magic in their first game of the first round.
Now Jimmy Butler lost 40 points on the best defense in the NBA to start the second round and now people have a lot of questions about the Bucks. They all start with newly named Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo.
During his post-game media availability, Antetokounmpo was asked directly why he didn’t take on the task of shutting down Jimmy Butler.
This is what he had to say.
“Antetokounmpo: To protect it?
Reporter: Yes.
Antetokounmpo: No, I did not do it. Why would you ask that?
Reporter: Is that something you want to do in the future?
Antetokounmpo: No, I’ll do what the coach tells me.”
Phew. That was quite an interesting exchange. It caused a great ruckus. The best defensive player in the NBA who doesn’t close out a specific showdown? Unheard of, apparently.
NBA players and fans weren’t allowing it. Former NBA All-Star Isiah Thomas called Antetokounmpo for not accepting the assignment.
And apparently an unidentified All-Star told ESPN’s Tim McMahon that Antetokounmpo doesn’t deserve the award because he’s not a “blocking defender turning off other stars.”
And then, on top of that, NBA fans everywhere just lost it.
However, many of these criticisms are silly. If DPOY was based on what a player does when they line up against each other, Patrick Beverley would probably have one of these. But it is not and it does not.
There is no doubt that Antetokounmpo is the best defender in the NBA. He is an elite rim protector and kept the players he defended with 36% shooting this season.
Could you protect Jimmy Butler? Of course. But once he does that, there is no player on the roster who fills in the gaps at the rear like he does. That’s what makes the Bucks defense so good.
So is it a bad look that Jimmy Butler is gone? Yes. Do the Bucks need to modify their game plan? Yes.
Should it exclusively involve Giannis by lifting him 94 feet? Absolutely not. That is a waste of talent.
