NBA Hoops

Different defensive schemes to throw at Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks

Different defensive schemes to throw at Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks

As the Boston Celtics get set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks, stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo feels like the number-one priority, but with a player as dominant as Antetokounmpo, stopping him is rarely an option. The Greek Freak scored less than 20 points only seven times this season, and the Bucks still went 4-3 in those games. Sometimes, it’s more about slowing players down than stopping them.

Beating the Bucks is about more than just slowing down Antetokounmpo, though. Milwaukee has become a perennial championship contender because of the pieces they’ve put around the 27-year-old superstar. The fact that Khris Middleton will miss the entire series is a huge blow to their star power, but they still have plenty of guys ready to step up.

Boston will have to account for not only Antetokounmpo on the defensive end, but players like Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and even Bobby Portis, too. Not having to gameplan for Middleton will make their life easier but stopping Milwaukee’s potent offensive attack will still be a big-time challenge.

Starting with the head of the snake, Antetokounmpo is a freak of nature. He averaged 28.6 points a night in Round 1, shooting 56.8 percent from the field. Luckily for the Celtics, they have better defenders and a better defensive scheme than the Chicago Bulls do. But Antetokounmpo is good enough to rip through any defense put in front of him. That being said, let’s take a look at what has and hasn’t worked against him in the past.

First and foremost, it’s all about personnel. Just look at the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic was too slow to stay in front of him, Javonte Green was too short to effectively guard him, Derrick Jones Jr. was too weak to body him up, and so on. Antetokounmpo knew this and took full advantage.

That won’t be the case for Boston. The Celtics have multiple players who can stick with Antetokounmpo. Al Horford is the first guy that comes to mind, followed by players like Grant Williams, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CelticsBlog – All Posts…