Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to miss Darvin Ham, but the Bucks star praised the Los Angeles Lakers for hiring the Milwaukee assistant as their new head coach on Friday, which was first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

On the Lakers hiring of Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Giannis Antetokounmpo tells ESPN: “I’m so happy for him. He’s the right fit for them. He keeps it real with you. No BS at all. It’s about damn time. He deserves it more than anyone.”

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 28, 2022

Ham had been a member of the Bucks' staff since 2018. Antetokounmpo was an All-Star in each of Ham's four seasons, named the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year and named NBA MVP in both 2018 and 2019.

Antetokounmpo's comments come after Lakers star LeBron James tweeted his excitement about the hiring of Ham who, according to Wojnarowski, "made a strong impression" with the Purple and Gold's brass. 

So damn EXCITED!!!!!!!! Congrats and welcome Coach DHam!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #LakeShow💜💛

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 28, 2022

The Lakers liked Ham's "championship pedigree, his commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness," Wojnarowski reported. It comes as little surprise as Ham has coached the likes of Antetokounmpo and was a member of Milwaukee's 2021 NBA title-winning squad. 

That said, Ham will undoubtedly face his challenges in L.A. after the Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference this season and missed the playoffs after entering the year with high expectations following the addition of Russell Westbrook. 

However, he was arguably the best candidate of the Lakers' reported finalists. Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts were also finalists for the position, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

The Kia All-NBA Teams have been announced, and a pair of two-time NBA MVPs lead the way once again.

Denver Nuggets center and reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic finds himself on the First Team alongside Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP award in 2019 and 2020.

They are joined by newcomer and Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, who averaged a career-high 26.8 points while leading his team to an NBA-best 64-18 record.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic joins Booker in the backcourt for his third straight First Team appearance as well. 

Finally, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum rounds out the First Team this year after guiding the C's to second in the Eastern Conference. He was the catalyst for the team's 26-6 finish down the stretch and averaged a career-high 26.9 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Here's a look at all three All-NBA teams and a spotlight on some of the First Team standouts. 

---

All-NBA First Team

Dallas Mavericks G Luka Doncic

Phoenix Suns G Devin Booker

Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Boston Celtics F Jayson Tatum

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic

---

All-NBA Second Team

Memphis Grizzlies G Ja Morant

Golden State Warriors G Stephen Curry

Chicago Bulls F DeMar DeRozan

Brooklyn Nets F Kevin Durant

Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid

---

All-NBA Third Team

Atlanta Hawks G Trae Young

Phoenix Suns G Chris Paul

Toronto Raptors F Pascal Siakam

Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James

Minnesota Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns

---

Nuggets C Nikola Jokic

The reigning back-to-back NBA MVP posted 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.

Per Basketball-Reference, he paced the league with 15.2 win shares and a 9.8 VORP (value over replacement player). His 32.8 player efficiency rating also led the NBA.

Jokic did all that despite Denver missing point guard Jamal Murray (torn ACL) all season and forward Michael Porter Jr. (lumbar spine surgery) for all but nine games.

Thanks largely to his efforts, Denver finished 48-34 and reached the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.

The four-time All-Star has now made three All-NBA First Teams and one All-NBA Second Team.

---

Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo, a nine-year veteran and six-time All-Star, averaged a career-high 29.9 points, as well as 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game this year. The two-time NBA MVP finished third in the MVP voting this season behind Jokic and runner-up Joel Embiid and led the Bucks to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The 27-year-old also won the 2021 NBA Finals MVP and the 2020-21 NBA championship. He has made the All-NBA First Team for four straight years.

No other NBA player has a current First Team streak as long as Antetokounmpo, who had 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the playoffs.

---

Suns G Devin Booker

Booker and the Suns finished with the best record in the league at 64-18. The season didn't end on a high note with a tough seven-game loss to Doncic and the Mavs in Round 2, but the three-time All-Star certainly deserves honors for a tremendous year that saw him average a career-best 26.8 points per game.

He and Chris Paul arguably formed the NBA's best backcourt, and the two also guided Phoenix to top four offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, per Basketball-Reference. Overall, it was a great season for Booker, who now enjoys his well-deserved All-NBA team nod.

            

Mavericks G Luka Doncic

The 23-year-old continued to be a force to be reckoned with in his four-year NBA career as he averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game for the fifth-seeded Mavs.

He did all that despite the Mavs making a seismic change to their roster and trading big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards midseason.

Undeterred, Doncic easily led the Mavs to the playoffs, where they advanced to the Western Conference Finals after upsetting the top-seeded Suns in Round 2. Luka Magic appeared once again as he averaged 32.6 points in the Suns series.

Doncic is now a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team member who won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award as well.

---

Celtics F Jayson Tatum

Tatum has now made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams in his five-year career. Things looked bleak this season after the C's got off to a moribund 25-25 start, but Tatum catapulted the squad to a tremendous finish and the No. 2 seed in the East.

A potentially dangerous matchup with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets loomed in Round 1, but Tatum and the C's dispatched them in a four-game sweep. They then took down Giannis and the Bucks in seven second-round games and currently sit tied at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat.

Tatum's officially broken out into one of the game's elite stars this year, and he could very well be on his way toward leading Boston to its first title since 2008.

The NBA announced Friday the members of the 2021-22 All-Defensive Teams, with some familiar faces and this season's Defensive Player of the Year headlining the First Team. 

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges make up this season's All-Defensive First Team. 

The 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team:

🏀 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
🏀 Mikal Bridges (Phoenix)
🏀 Rudy Gobert (Utah)
🏀 Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis)
🏀 Marcus Smart (Boston) pic.twitter.com/YQgyjt9qSP

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2022

Meanwhile, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle and Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III make up the All-Defensive Second Team. 

The 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team:

🏀 Bam Adebayo (Miami)
🏀 Draymond Green (Golden State)
🏀 Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee)
🏀 Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia)
🏀 Robert Williams III (Boston) pic.twitter.com/UJiVcGMyUw

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2022

Here's a look at the voting:

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of Boston and runner-up Mikal Bridges of Phoenix received the most voting points in balloting for the 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive Team.

More ➡️ https://t.co/VpKETU9caP

Voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dUxDi2L2oc

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2022

Smart's selection to the first team comes as no surprise after he was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the first time in his career. This also marks his third selection to an All-Defensive Team. 

The 28-year-old was one of the driving forces behind the Celtics' No. 1-ranked defense this season. He ranked seventh in the league with 1.7 steals per game, tied for six in total steals with 119 and had 19 games with at least three steals.

Smart also finished tied for fourth with 75 loose balls recovered, tied for 10th with 206 deflections and 16 charges drawn. In addition, he finished with 3.2 defensive rebounds per game, the most of his career. 

Jackson, meanwhile, helped the Grizzlies finish with the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA and the second-best record in the Western Conference. This marks the first All-Defensive Team selection of his career. 

The 22-year-old finished the season averaging 4.3 defensive rebounds and a career-high 2.3 blocks per game. In addition, he finished with 769 contested shots, 63 loose balls recovered, 335 total defensive rebounds, 177 total blocks and 73 steals. 

Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and this marks his sixth All-Defensive Team selection. He helped the Jazz finish with the 10th-best defensive rating in the league and was a big reason why Utah finished fifth in the Western Conference standings. 

The 29-year-old averaged 11 defensive rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. In addition, he finished with 862 contested shots, 727 total defensive rebounds, 137 total blocks, 87 deflections and 28 loose balls recovered. 

Antetokounmpo won DPoY in 2019-20 and this marks his fifth All-Defensive Team selection. He helped the Bucks finish with the 14th-best defensive rating in the NBA and was a big reason why the team finished third in the Eastern Conference. 

The 27-year-old averaged 9.6 defensive rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 2021-22. In addition, he finished with a total of 612 contested shots, 644 defensive rebounds, 72 steals, 91 blocks, 115 deflections and 64 loose balls recovered.

Bridges finished second in DPoY voting this season and this marks the first All-Defensive Team selection of his career. He helped the Suns finish with the third-best defensive rating in the NBA and the best record in the Western Conference. 

The 25-year-old averaged 3.3 defensive rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season. In addition, he finished with a total of 168 deflections, 483 contested shots, 273 defensive rebounds, 96 steals and 36 blocks. 

After the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the postseason on Sunday, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his gratitude for the year and confidence that the team will bounce back.

Antetokounmpo posted a photo on his Instagram with the caption, "We’ll be back Milwaukee.. Thank you for a great season!!"

The Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics 109-81 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday. Antetokounmpo led the team with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists. Milwaukee had a 3-2 series lead before dropping back-to-back games.

The defending NBA champion Bucks were once again a favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference this year. However, the team's chances took a major hit when forward Khris Middleton went down with a sprained MCL in his left knee two games into the postseason.

The three-time All-Star averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range during the regular season. Milwaukee could've used that kind of production while Antetokounmpo's supporting cast struggled to back him up.

Bucks guard Jrue Holiday couldn't find his touch against Boston, shooting just 36.4 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc in the series. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis were the only other two players to average more than 10 points in the playoffs.

Nonetheless, with Antetokounmpo leading the way, Milwaukee has a strong core and should remain a title contender next season.

Less than a year after dropping 50 points in a closeout game that sealed his Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo's follow-up bid is over.

In a wildly hyped Game 7 against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks were dismissed surprisingly easily, 109-81. With his co-star Khris Middleton sidelined nursing an MCL sprain, Antetokounmpo recorded his fifth straight double-double and second straight 20-20 game. It took 26 shots to get his 25 points on Sunday.

But let's be clear: This isn't a legacy defining moment. It's probably not even legacy-altering.

Years from now, we may look back on this as a hiccup on the way to a pantheon career. It might end up being the fuel that pushes him into discussions about the top 10 to 15 players all time.

It's worth remembering that Giannis is 27 years old. LeBron James and Michael Jordan both won their first titles at that age. No one else in league history had two MVPs, a Finals MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year this young (Hakeem Olajuwon and MJ are the only other players to pull off that triple crown at any age).

But the details matter, so how should history judge Antetokounmpo's 2022 playoff exit? 

He shot under 50 percent from the field in five of seven games against Boston and finished at 45.7 percent for the series, with a true shooting percentage of 51.6. That efficiency to get 33.9 points in a playoff series would be OK for plenty of players, but it's 11.5 percentage points shy of Antetokounmpo's regular-season mark since the start of 2018-19. It's not close to the 59.9 he put up in the 2021 postseason, either.

Against a defense with multiple lengthy, switchy wings like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as mobile bigs like Grant Williams and Al Horford, Antetokounmpo had a hard time finding open shots. In an in-game interview during Game 6, Celtics coach Ime Udoka talked about the need to show him a crowd. And that's exactly what Boston did all series.

Not only did the four above do a good job of staying in front of Antetokounmpo on his initial drives, he was stifled by multiple Celtics when he was able to get to the paint. By Game 7, Antetokounmpo appeared to be rushing everything, even layups and dunks around the rim that would typically be gimmes.

One year after it appeared that the "Giannis Wall" defensive strategy had been solved, Boston went all-in on it.

I know building a wall on Giannis is important but you can't do so at the cost of letting Holiday walk into a three. Brown had a long way to go to get to Holiday too. pic.twitter.com/NehCss8ZCp

— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) May 7, 2022

And though there were occasional possessions where it burned them (like the one above), on balance, it worked.

First, GREAT example of building a wall on Giannis. There is no where for him to go but through Williams, then Horford with the great outlet to Tatum. pic.twitter.com/ZlkQBFSWIC

— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) May 12, 2022

Expecting that to be a harbinger of things to come for Giannis and his opponents may be foolhardy, though.

Sure, build a wall. It may be your best option, but Giannis typically has Middleton to kick it too. Not only is he one of the game's better catch-and-shoot options, he can attack closeouts against a defense scrambled by Giannis. And he's an underrated playmaker (his 5.9 assists per 75 possessions over the last two seasons ranks top 60 league-wide).

We also have nearly a decade of history to suggest that Antetokounmpo will learn and grow from what just happened.

As a rookie, nearly a 30 percent of Giannis' shots were threes. Over the next few years, he turned into a put-your-head-down point forward. Coach Jason Kidd even tried him at the 1 for much of 2015-16. That laid the foundation for his playmaking. Prior to his MVP leap, he bulked up and became a Shaquille O'Neal-like battering ram around the rim. And this season, he just had his best campaign from the midrange.

Year after year, he adds things or improves on weaknesses. This summer, he might need to push the pendulum back just a bit to where he was a rookie. This certainly isn't a suggestion that he abandon the game that made him a two-time MVP, but he'd benefit from more range against the few teams that can effectively build the "Giannis Wall."

And that brings us to the other reason not to overreact. Everyone would love the defensive versatility possessed by the Celtics. It's just not available in abundance, and it can take years to develop the ability and cohesion necessary to defend the way Boston does. Udoka is new to the job, but there's plenty of continuity on this roster. There may not be another team in the league that can do to Giannis what the Celtics just did.

We can overreact to that, or we can wait and see what's next.

He is, undoubtedly, among the most accomplished 27-year olds in NBA history. He has a statistical resume that stands up (and maybe even surpasses) some of the absolute best players in basketball history.

Earlier this month, Giannis' numbers since the start of 2018-19 (when he won his first MVP) were pitted against the best four-year stretch of LeBron's career in a blind poll. Giannis' won.

A couple weeks later, HoopsHype's Twitter account inspired another blind poll. This time, it was the last four seasons from Giannis against Kevin Durant's best four years. Giannis won again.

We're hesitant to put the feats we're seeing now on the same level of the greats of the past. That's fine. But when you remove that potential bias by taking names off the numbers, Antetokounmpo is up there with just about anyone.

The statline is like prime Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with more assists. The developing midrange game gave him the same field-goal percentage on twos from 10 feet and out (42.2) as Kyrie Irving and Tyler Herro this season. The effects of Boston's wall aside, his game inside is reminiscent of prime Shaq. One-on-one, there really isn't anyone that can keep him away from the rim. On top of all that, he's a dominant rebounder and near-seven-foot free safety who can be seemingly everywhere in individual defensive possessions.

And he's 27 years old.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird won their last titles at 28 and 29, respectively. Dirk Nowitzki didn't break through till he was 32. Jordan and LeBron secured their most recent championships at 34 and 35 (and LeBron's still at it).

In today's world of instant reactions, social media hits and near constant discussion of where every NBA star rests on the all-time ladder, it's tempting to react to a second-round playoff loss like the one Giannis just suffered.

If the reaction is limited to how Antetokounmpo can grow from this, fine. Anything else is premature.

After all we've seen from Giannis over the first nine years of his career, there's no way to know how high up that ladder he can climb.

Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't come away with a victory Sunday, but he at least received high praise from one of his peers following the Milwaukee Bucks' 109-81 defeat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

"Giannis is the best player in the world," Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown told reporters. "You can see why a lot of people say that."

This is one of the rare instances in which a star bolstered his resume in a losing effort, and the compliments directed Antetokounmpo's way are anything but patronizing.

The fact the Bucks pushed this series as far as they did with Khris Middleton unable to play is a credit to just how incredible Giannis Antetokounmpo is. He was incandescent throughout. It just wasn’t quite enough.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 15, 2022

Over seven games, the two-time MVP averaged 33.9 points, 14.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists. In Game 6, he had a playoff stat line (44 points, 20 rebounds and six assists) that had only been matched by Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XivmfSptxl0

At this point, one could certainly argue Antetokounmpo has supplanted LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the best player in the NBA right now.

As the Milwaukee Bucks attempted to extend their season Sunday in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the mileage was beginning to add up for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Following a 109-81 loss to the Boston Celtics, the two-time MVP told reporters he was starting to feel the fatigue physically and mentally:

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo after season-ending Game 7 loss to Celtics: "Legs heavy. Body heavy. Mind heavy. Everything was heavy."

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 15, 2022

Giannis Antetokounmpo: "Shots that I usually make wasn't going in, but that's basketball. That's sports."

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) May 15, 2022

For a player at Antetokounmpo's level, failing to advance past the conference semifinals will widely be viewed as a disappointment, especially when his team had a 3-2 series lead. But the Bucks' Game 6 loss showed how this outcome can't really be laid at the feet of the 6'11" standout.

Antetokounmpo dropped 44 points, 20 rebounds and six assists, which weren't enough to propel his team to a win. That's largely because the rest of the Bucks shot 22-of-58 from the field and 5-of-26 on three-pointers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XivmfSptxl0

Milwaukee was always going to lean heavily on its best player, but Khris Middleton's knee injury meant the Greek Freak would have to assume an even larger role.

According to Basketball Reference, his usage rate during last year's championship run was 31.8 percent. His usage climbed to 38.9 percent this postseason prior to Sunday's game. That was on pace to be the sixth-highest in a single playoffs since 1977-78.

Of the top 10 players on that list, only Michael Jordan in 1992-93 went on to be a part of a title-winning team.

Having to be so reliant on one player hurts on two fronts. Not only does it make the offense too predictable, but said player inevitably begins to feel that burden. Even somebody as physically imposing as Antetokounmpo can only take so much.

The Milwaukee Bucks' quest to win a second straight NBA championship came to an end Sunday with a 109-81 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the second-round playoff series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo came out firing on all cylinders with 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the first quarter. His play faded while being asked to carry almost the entire offensive load, however, and no one else stepped up to save the Bucks' season.

Bucks are done. Giannis is out of gas and no one else showed up outside of Brook early on.

— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) May 15, 2022

The team's lack of depth without Khris Middleton, who was sidelined since early in Round 1 with a knee injury, was on full display in the face of a swarming Celtics defense.

The Bucks could use Khris Middleton right about now.

— Mr. Statistician Face Man (@tomhaberstroh) May 15, 2022

It sparked debate about whether Milwaukee did enough with the roster around Giannis to make a serious bid to repeat:

I feel bad for Giannis. This is an awful supporting cast performance

— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) May 15, 2022

If Giannis isn’t scoring Milwaukee’s offense is 🗑

— Connor Clement (@connorclementtv) May 15, 2022

The Bucks are cooked. 3 dudes in the paint around Giannis 😂

— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) May 15, 2022

Khris Middleton had so many huge games during Milwaukee’s championship run, including a 40-point performance in the NBA Finals. I’m surprised the Bucks won three games against Boston without him.

— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) May 15, 2022

https://twitter.com/TruthKills89/status/1525946938247593984

It would have been nice if anyone besides Giannis attempted to play the game of basketball. Bucks organization didn’t do enough to the roster this year. And let’s remember the pre injury Middleton tweets that were being sent. Not like he was playing lights out or even close.

— David Bellows (@DBells95) May 15, 2022

I just feel bad for Giannis at this point. Poor guy is beat. He needs about two weeks where he just takes naps and watches some Blu-Rays.

— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) May 15, 2022

By the second half, it appeared Antetokounmpo simply didn't have the energy necessary to put the Bucks on his shoulders as he has so often over the past two seasons:

i can't remember the last time i've seen giannis look this rattled. years? multiple?

— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) May 15, 2022

I’m shocked by how bad Giannis has been offensively since 1st quarter

— Ryan Wing (@RyanWingFOX11) May 15, 2022

Giannis been missing a lot of shots he usually makes.

— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) May 15, 2022

Giannis might be out of gas, he’s missed a bunch of shots around the rim that are usually gimmes for him.

— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) May 15, 2022

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first player ever with 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a single series pic.twitter.com/nuLx85wUkH

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2022

Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum enjoyed another strong outing for the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists. The C's also got a breakout performance from Grant Williams, who knocked down seven threes en route to a game-high 27 points.

Boston advances to face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. It's a rematch of the 2020 conference finals, which the Heat won in six games.

The Celtics last reached the NBA Finals in 2010 and captured their most recent title in 2008.

On the flip side, the Bucks' core of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday are all under contract for at least one more season, but there will be questions about what type of moves should be made to reinvigorate the roster after the second-round exit.