Simply unplayable before the All-Star Break, Giannis Antetokounmpo has visibly marked some minds. In particular that of Jayson Tatum, who gave his vote to the Greek Freak to the question “who is the best NBA player today?”.
If anyone knows the Giannis phenomenon by heart, it’s Jayson Tatum. The Celtics superstar has actually crossed swords with that of the Bucks three times in five disputed Playoff campaigns. The most memorable of their battles? Undoubtedly the conference semi-final last year, where the Freak – 34 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists per game on the series – pushed the Tatum band to its ultimate limits despite the absence of Khris Middleton (victory in 7 games for Boston).
Tatum has obviously not forgotten this fight of titans, nor the clashes of this season. Just before the All-Star Break, Giannis topped the Celtics by finishing with 36 points – 13 rebounds – 9 assists. During Christmas Day, on the other hand, Antetokounmpo had experienced an evening without on the floor of Boston, an evening without at… 27 points – 9 rebounds all the same. It is precisely for this ability to always weigh even when he is less successful than JT considers the Freak the best player in the world.
“The best player in the world ? I would say Giannis. His way of impacting both sides of the field, the scoring, the rebounds, the fact that he always plays hard. And then we all have nights without, but when he has a night without, I have the impression that he still finishes in 25 points – 15 rebounds, instead of 40-20. And then he won a title too.”
– Tatum road ESPN
Not only does Giannis almost always find a way to weigh in on the stats, but he is also the kind of player who will impact a match far beyond the numbers, whether through his defensive presence or simply the physical burden he inflicts on his opponents evening after evening. If certain defenses sometimes manage to slow down the phenomenon of Milwaukee by taking it away from the racket, there is a real price to pay and it requires a collective effort at all times.
“You have to build a wall to stop me. That’s what Boston did, Chicago tried, Miami did. We call it the ‘Giannis Wall’. There is no one-on-one for me. I play against two, three, four guys.”
– Giannis au All-Star Weekend
Without wanting to enter into the debate of who is the best player in the world at the moment T, there is no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo – legendary champion in 2021 – has all the arguments to claim the crown. And as soon as he comes back from his little sore on his wrist, he will do everything to confirm the comments made by Jayson Tatum.
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Source texte : ESPN
Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell pick Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best player in the NBA ????
(via @malika_andrews) pic.twitter.com/urJA9QnsgE
— ESPN (@espn) February 23, 2023