Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most exciting superstars in the NBA.
He has one of the most stacked resumes already and former NBA player Kendrick Perkins believes he is the second best power-forward of all-time.
The Greek Freak is one of the best two-way players in the league, this year he has been overlooked in the MVP conversations.
Once again, Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up a special season, averaging 30-11-6 splits.
Recently, he has had to adapt a new role which requires Antetokounmpo to handle the ball more due to the injury to Damian Lillard.
He has stepped up and has been key to the Milwaukee Bucks‘ strong finish the season, winning their last seven games.
After putting up another monster 32-point triple-double, the two-time MVP made a strong claim about his ability.
Antetokounmpo stated he is one of the best defensive players in the league, especially given the fact that he is an elite scorer.
The 30-year-old is certainly not wrong and even has a Defensive Player of the Year trophy to back that statement up.
Antetokounmpo leads the league in player impact and usage percentage, which indicates how he steps up on both ends of the floor.
Speaking about his defensive ability, Antetokounmpo said: ‘I think I’m a pretty good defensive player.
“I’ll be very honest with you, it’s kind of hard when you have so much offensive load to play defense at a very high level, but if you really think about all the top players in the NBA right now that score the ball at a high rate, I really think, I’m one of the best defensive players.”
Antetokounmpo also elaborated on how he effects the game on both ends by scoring and showcasing resilience on the defensive end.
“You can go from the top ten scoring players in the league, I think I can affect the game defensively too from my defensive rebounds, from deflections, from blocking, from just getting myself in there and there’s gonna be times my team need me to do that,” said Antetokounmpo.
Kevin Porter Jr. came to the Bucks mid way through the season and has been a vital player off the bench for the Bucks.
The guard has benefitted greatly from playing alongside Antetokounmpo as he is getting a lot more looks due to the attention the 2021 NBA champion gets.
He stated he hated going against the Greek Freak when playing on opposition team.
Speaking on the two-time MVP, KPJ said: “If anyone’s a fan of basketball and you get to watch every night the dominance and what Giannis does like, it’s unbelievable, it’s a blessing honestly.
“I hated him when I was on the opposing team, like every time we played the Bucks, it was like Giannis, you know? We knew exactly what he was gonna do, but me being here know and seeing the in’s and out’s and not just playing against it and seeing it from afar, bro he’s destined for greatness, there’s nothing surprising what he’s able to do if you see his work and what he’s dedicated to,” said Porter Jr.
