The Boston Celtics shocked the NBA world in round one, and not just by sweeping the Nets. Through their defensive physicality, Boston made Kevin Durant – one of the game’s greatest scorers – look pedestrian. Giannis Antetokounmpo though, in the peak of his prime, is a different story.
In Game 1, Giannis scored 24 points, dished 12 assists, and added 13 rebounds and 2 blocks in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 101-89 win. Game 1’s performance begs the question: is Giannis too dominant for even Boston’s physical defense.
Now – not to spoil it, but – the answer is yes, he is. And to explain why, we actually need to look at where Boston’s defense succeeded.
The Celtics held Antetokounmpo to 36% shooting from the field. They held the forward to just 11 free throws and forced him to cough up 5 turnovers. Boston, especially early in the game, flustered Giannis with double teams and attacked him on spin moves to try to rip the ball from him.
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But that’s the thing – even though Boston succeeded in holding Giannis to ugly numbers, he still had a fantastic game. And here’s why:
Giannis became a facilitator. The Bucks built an early lead on wide open threes – many in transition, but many also off of Giannis doubles. Giannis is so strong and has such an incredible ability to attack the rim that a defense has to exhaust itself preventing him from doing so. When Giannis looks to make the smart pass instead, he can completely collapse a defense.
For almost the entire game, Boston looked to double Giannis whenever possible. On the rare occasions he did find himself in single coverage though, he was able to take advantage:
Another important factor to note is the double-edged sword that is Boston’s defensive physicality. The Boston Celtics were extremely physical with Giannis on his drives, desperate to instead make the Bucks’ supporting cast beat them. Giannis shot 6/14 at the rim, uncharacteristic for the forward who was an 81% shooter from that range this season. The poor shooting was due in part to good defense, in part to uncalled physicality.
The double-edged sword was that, on the other end, the Celtics’ drivers weren’t getting those close calls either. Boston made just 10 two-point field goals in the game. All 10 came at the rim, where they shot just 10/29. Again, some of the poor shooting was due to good defense, and some was due to uncalled physicality. The physicality Boston uses to try to stop Giannis ends up hurting them on the offensive end.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo is unguardable; he’s too fast, he’s too strong, he’s too long. The approach to Giannis in a playoff setting isn’t “How do we stop him,” but “What do we concede to him?” In Game 1, Boston tried conceding the assists, and Giannis made them pay.
The thing is – the Celtics had a very good defensive game. They held the Milwaukee Bucks to 101 points (a 100 ORTG), held Giannis to a bad shooting night, and even got a below-average shooting night from 3 from the Bucks overall. But it didn’t matter. Giannis’s scoring, passing, and defensive impact when combined are simply too much.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo is too dominant for any defense, even the Celtics’ league-leading unit. Boston may look to continue the strategy they operated with in Game 1, hoping some offensive improvement will swing the score in their favor. They may look to change strategies, tighten up on the supporting cast and dare Giannis to beat them by himself.
Quieting Giannis is a puzzle with no solution. Boston may be the best-equipped team in the league to try, but if they come out on top in this series, Boston will have to prevail despite a great Giannis series. The Boston Celtics – like every team in the NBA – have no hope of stopping him.
