Milwaukee Bucks: Players that will compete for NBA awards in 2021-22
By Dalton Sell
Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jrue Holiday could win Defensive Player of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
Given their reputable stature on the defensive end, the Bucks could realistically have a pair of Defensive Player of the Year candidates in 2021-22.
Sticking with Antetokounmpo, he has proven to be arguably the best defender in the league at this point in his career. He proved this throughout his latest postseason run with several iconic plays, none more notable than his block on Deandre Ayton in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Greek Freak already has a DPOY award under his belt from his fantastic 2019-20 campaign, and if he plays his brand of reputable defense this coming season, he could very well win the award again.
Antetokounmpo is already just one of three players to win MVP and DPOY in the same season in NBA history, and it would be a historically great achievement if he could do it again next year. After the historically great run that he just had, fans should not underestimate Antetokounmpo to any extent when it comes to achieving something that seems out of reach.
The other Buck that could be mentioned in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year next season is Jrue Holiday. The guard has always been categorized as an elite defender, which he put on display throughout Milwaukee’s playoff run, particularly when he ripped the basketball away from Devin Booker in the closing moments of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
He is arguably the best guard defender, if not the best all-around defender in the NBA, and he could make a run at the most prestigious defensive award next season. Holiday previously said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes that he believes he should be the winner of the award every year, but he hardly gets the proper recognition. The voters will certainly be giving him the necessary attention this coming season, and if he can keep his foot on the gas defensively, he could be a sleeper pick for the award.