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Giannis Antetokounmpo named 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year

By Jordan Treske

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball first round playoff game against the Orlando Magic at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball first round playoff game against the Orlando Magic at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images) /
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Tuesday evening saw the announcement that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The Milwaukee Bucks are focused on the business at hand with their first round series with the Orlando Magic, but there was reason for celebrating Tuesday evening

As first reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes and Vincent Goodwill, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokonmpo was named the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, adding another major award to his growing trophy mantle.

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The reigning MVP accepted the award in front of his teammates and Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer down in Orlando and Budenholzer presented the award to Antetokounmpo to open TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ program Tuesday evening.

Antetokounmpo is now the second Bucks player to be named Defensive Player of the Year as Bucks great and Hall of Famer Sidney Moncrief took home the first and second Defensive Player of the Year honors back in 1982-83 and 1983-84.

As Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck tweeted, the full results showed Antetokounmpo winning in a landslide with 75 first place votes as Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert came in second and third, respectively.

Of course, it comes as no surprise that Antetokounmpo wound up winning this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, the first of his seven-year career.

With the Bucks finishing as the league’s best defensive team for the second straight year, Antetokounmpo has largely been seen as the biggest reason why the Bucks have been able to build an elite defense under head coach Mike Budenholzer.

After all, Antetokounmpo finished with the best defensive rating of anyone in the NBA who saw regular playing time all season long. And while his counting stats on the side of the floor were down year over year as he averaged a block and a steal through his 63 regular season appearances, the blend of versatility and rim protection he provides defensively was in full effect all season long.

To that latter point, Antetokounmpo limited opponents to a 41.6 defensive field goal percentage on shots that were taken within six feet of the basket. Between Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez manning the back line, the Bucks’ historic paint defense has been one of the tentpoles to their resounding success over the Budenholzer era.

Of course, Antetokounmpo could soon make history by becoming the third player to win a Defensive Player of the Year award and be named Most Valuable Player in the same season, following the footsteps of Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.

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As likely as Antetokounmpo is to pull off that feat, the legend and legacy of the Greek superstar continues to grow with each major honor comes his way and all of it is so fully deserved.

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