(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Giannis Antetokounmpo has won everything a player can want in the NBA.
He has multiple individual accolades, including the regular-season MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year award in his cabinet.
The cherry on the top is the fact that Antetokounmpo also led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA title.
Ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season, Antetokounmpo is expected to lead the Bucks to another championship.
But apart from that, the two-time NBA MVP is apparently the heavy-favorite to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award next season, per NBA GMs via NBACentral on Twitter.
NBA GMs vote on the best defensive player in the NBA:
(Via https://t.co/wWGNmWnCY9) pic.twitter.com/E62ujMDbVt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 10, 2023
As shown in the graphic, 40% of NBA GMs believe that the 28-year-old is the best defensive player in the league as of now.
While 48% of GMs voted for Antetokounmpo as the best defensive player last season as well, it was the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. who won the DPOY award.
For the 2023-24 season, Antetokounmpo could focus more on the defensive duties as the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard in the offseason.
Lillard is regarded as one of the most gifted scorers of this generation.
Moreover, he scores a lot of his points from beyond the three-point line.
Keeping that in mind, the scoring burden would be somewhat reduced for Giannis.
It will also open some extra lanes to the bucket for Antetokounmpo on the offensive end of the floor.
All things considered, Antetokounmpo needs to be an elite defensive player for the Bucks as the offense won’t be an issue for them.
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