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NBA Announces 2019/20 All-Defensive Teams

September 8th, 2020 at 6:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2019/20 season. Unsurprisingly, Defensive Player of the Year (and possible repeat MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo was the leading vote-getter with 195 total points. Players receive two points per First Team vote and one point per Second Team vote.

This is the Bucks forward’s second consecutive appearance on the All-NBA First Team. Antetokounmpo was listed on 98 of 100 ballots from the 100 broadcasters and writers who comprised this year’s voting panel. 97 of those voters awarded him a First Team vote.

Lakers forward Anthony Davis was featured on every ballot and received a total tally of 187 points (including 87 First Team votes). Sixers guard Ben Simmons tallied 185 points with the third-most votes this year. Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the 2018 and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, was fourth with 95 total votes (85 First Team), for 180 total points. Celtics guard Marcus Smart rounded out the All-Defensive First Team with 152 points, including 57 First Team votes.

Gobert’s inclusion on the All-Defensive First Team has earned him a $500K bonus, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Antetokounmpo’s Bucks teammates Brook Lopez (67 points) and Eric Bledsoe (59 points) each made the All-Defensive Second Team.

Here are the full voting results for the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, with each player’s point total noted in parentheses:

First Team:

Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Bucks (195)
Anthony Davis, F, Lakers (187)
Ben Simmons, G, Sixers (185)
Rudy Gobert, C, Jazz (180)
Marcus Smart, G, Celtics (152)

Second Team:

Kawhi Leonard, F, Clippers (128)
Brook Lopez, C, Bucks (67)
Bam Adebayo, F/C, Heat (61)
Patrick Beverley, G, Clippers (60)
Eric Bledsoe, G, Bucks (59)

You can find the full voting results right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Out For Game 5

September 8th, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Game 5 of the Bucks‘ second-round series vs. the Heat on Tuesday night due to his sprained right ankle, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Antetokounmpo, who suffered his ankle sprain during Game 3 and re-aggravated the injury in Game 4, had been listed as questionable and was doing everything he could to return to the court, with head coach Mike Budenholzer telling reporters this afternoon that Giannis’ status would be a game-time decision. However, the quick turnaround from Sunday’s game apparently didn’t give the ankle enough time to heal.

Milwaukee managed to pull out a victory in Game 4 despite not having Antetokounmpo available for the second half, but extending the series again without the reigning MVP will be a tall task. Facing a 3-1 deficit, the Bucks will be eliminated with a loss. A win would force a Game 6 on Thursday and would give Giannis another opportunity to return.

While the Bucks will be without their leading scorer and rebounder, the Heat got some better injury news today. Jae Crowder (ankle), Tyler Herro (hip), and Kelly Olynyk (knee), who had all been listed as questionable on the injury report, are all expected to play tonight, per head coach Erik Spoelstra (Twitter link via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel).

Eastern Notes: Herro, Giannis, Raptors, Pistons

September 7th, 2020 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyler Herro hit some huge shots late in the Heat’s overtime loss to the Bucks during Game 4 on Sunday. He’s still not guaranteed of playing on Tuesday, according to NBA.com’s injury report. The rookie shooting guard is listed as questionable for Game 5 on Tuesday due to a right hip bruise. Two other Miami rotation players – forward Jae Crowder (left ankle sprain) and center Kelly Olynyk (right knee bruise) – are also considered questionable for Game 5.

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Bucks shouldn’t risk their future by allowing Giannis Antetokounmpo to play again in their second-round playoff series, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports opines. Milwaukee has little chance of winning three consecutive games and playing Antetokounmpo — who is listed as questionable for Game 5 with a sore right ankle — could do more damage than good. Goodwill cites Grant Hill and Kevin Durant as examples of players who tried to play through pain in the playoffs and wound up with more serious injuries.
Continuity has allowed the Raptors to overcome the loss of Kawhi Leonard and make another postseason run, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Many of their rotation players have been with the organization for at least three years, fostering good chemistry. They also play with a chip on their shoulders, eager to prove their detractors wrong.
The Pistons will be one of the eight teams not invited to Orlando to hold team camps, beginning in the middle of this month. Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois explores how each of their core players can make the most of their prolonged off-season.

Bucks Haven’t Ruled Out Giannis For Game 5

September 7th, 2020 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

4:22pm: Antetokounmpo is being listed as questionable for Game 5, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (video link), who reports that Giannis is feeling similar to how he felt heading into Game 4. That’s promising news for the Bucks, since Antetokounmpo was available to start Game 4.

2:43pm: After re-aggravating his right ankle sprain during Sunday’s game vs. Miami, Giannis Antetokounmpo was unable to return to the game. However, the Bucks still haven’t ruled out their star forward for Game 5 on Tuesday, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters today that Antetokounmpo is receiving treatment “around the clock” in the hopes that he can be available on Tuesday. The Bucks’ sports performance group is expected to closely evaluate the reigning MVP with both the short- and long-term in mind, according to Woodyard, who notes that the club doesn’t want the injury to turn into anything more serious.

After leaving Game 4, Antetokounmpo was encouraging the Bucks’ medical staff to tape up his ankle and let him return to the court, but he was unable to plant or jump off his right foot, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“I know how hard he’s gonna work. I know how hard our sports performance group’s gonna work. It’s just impossible to say, but I guess, yeah, there’s hope,” Budenholzer said today. “We’re not ruling him out; so I guess until he’s ruled out, you have hope. Again, he’s gonna do everything he can to make himself available, and we’ll just see how the next 30 hours go.”

The Bucks trail the Heat 3-1 in their second-round series, so a loss on Tuesday would end their season. A win would force a Game 6 on Thursday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Re-Injures Ankle, Doesn’t Return To Game 4

September 6th, 2020 at 3:47pm CST by JD Shaw

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a right ankle sprain and didn’t return to Game 4 against the Heat on Sunday.

The injury occurred as Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly while attacking the basket during the second quarter, and it’s the same ankle he injured during Game 3 on Friday. He was previously listed as questionable to play in the contest.

“When he went down,” coach Mike Budenholzer said (as relayed by ESPN’s Malika Andrews), “all our hearts just stopped for a second.”

Prior to exiting the game, Antetokounmpo recorded 19 points and four rebounds in over 11 minutes of work, attacking the basket and playing noticeably aggressively with hopes of leading his team to victory. He encouraged the Bucks to tape up the ankle and let him return, but he couldn’t jump or plant off the sprain, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Antetokounmpo later left the arena in a walking boot, Andrews adds in a separate tweet.

Despite losing their star player, the Bucks still rallied to win 118-115 in overtime to keep their season alive. They were led by Khris Middleton (36 points), Eric Bledsoe (14 points, six assists) and Brook Lopez (14 points, five rebounds). Game 5 will be played on Tuesday night, with nobody around Milwaukee daring to rule Antetokounmpo out yet, Wojnarowski adds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Questionable For Game 4

September 5th, 2020 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the season on the line Sunday, the Bucks may not have their MVP on the court. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Game 4 against Miami with an ankle issue, tweets Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, who adds that Antetokounmpo had a “very noticeable limp” today.

The injury occurred early in the first quarter of Game 3 and Antetokounmpo was seen grimacing in pain throughout the night, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. He still managed to put up 21 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists and said afterward that the ankle felt “great” and “it wasn’t bothering me at all.”

Antetokounmpo was named Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week and is expected to be named MVP for the second straight season. The Bucks are 5-5 in games he has missed this year, according to StatMuse.

In other injury news around the league:

Rockets forward Danuel House left Friday’s game early, but the team explained it was for precautionary reasons and he won’t have to enter the concussion protocol, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Coach Mike D’Antoni said House was fine after the game.
LeBron James has a sore right groin, Anthony Davis has a sprained left finger and Rajon Rondo is suffering back spasms, but the Lakers list all three as probable for Sunday, according to Feigen (Twitter link).
The Heat are listing Kelly Olynyk as questionable for Game 4 with the right knee issue that caused him to miss Friday’s game, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Point guard Tremont Waters will be available for today’s Game 4, the Celtics announced. He had been sidelined with a sprained knee.

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo: “I Could Play More”

September 5th, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by marksuleymanov

With the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Bucks trailing the Heat 3-0 in the conference semifinals, Milwaukee’s usage – or lack thereof – of the reigning MVP has become a major storyline during the series.

While Giannis Antetokounmpo did hurt his ankle in the first quarter on Friday and played a total of 34 minutes in the loss, the Greek Freak feels he had more to contribute.

“I feel great,” Antetokounmpo said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “I could play more.”

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer even stirred some controversy when asked about the lack of playing time for Antetokounmpo and the team’s other scoring weapon, Khris Middleton.

“If you’re going as hard as these guys are in a playoff game, 35-36 [minutes], I think that’s pushing the ceiling,” Budenholzer said.

Facing a 3-0 deficit, the Bucks are on the verge of a disappointing early exit from the postseason for a second straight year after having the NBA’s best regular-season record.

Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has had a strong series and has served as somewhat of a disrupter, especially after Antetokounmpo — the 2019/20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year — did not guard him. It’s one of many storylines that has encompassed the Bucks’ disappointing postseason, but the Greece native is confident the Bucks can overcome the challenge and advance.

“We feel good; they feel good. I am in a good place. Obviously, if there is a team that can beat a team 4-0, and beat them, it can be us,” Antetokounmpo said. “We just got to believe in ourselves, watch the tape, play hard. We can’t do it game by game but play by play, position by position. We have to believe in ourselves, we can do it.”

Pacific Notes: Clippers, MPJ, Rondo, Kings, Warriors

September 4th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Nuggets and Clippers facing one another in the second round of the postseason, Michael Porter Jr. is getting an opportunity to play against a team he feels played a major role in his slide in the 2018 draft. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN details, the Clippers’ team doctor was pessimistic in his assessment of Porter’s back injury and L.A. passed on the forward twice in the lottery before he was selected by Denver at No. 14.

“Their doctor was the one that wrote the report on me,” Porter said of the Clippers. “I think he wrote some stuff like he thought that I would never play basketball again, so I didn’t think they’d pick me.”

While Doc Rivers acknowledged that Porter’s health was a concern for the Clippers, he said that the decision to pass on him with the No. 13 pick after trading up for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 was a tough one, according to Youngmisuk. The team opted instead for Boston College guard Jerome Robinson.

“We got the one guy we wanted in (Gilgeous-Alexander),” the Clippers’ head coach said. “And the second pick, when (Porter) was on the board, it was a brutal pass because everyone in the room knew his talent but it was more the injury concern. That was the only other concern.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo is listed as probable for Game 1 of the Lakers’ second-round series vs. Houston on Friday, per the league’s official injury report. Assuming Rondo sees action, it will be the first time he has played since March 10 — a broken thumb and back spasms have sidelined him all summer.
The Kings recently furloughed some employees in their basketball operations department, as Sam Amick of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). According to Amick, essential personnel in the front office and analytics/scouting departments weren’t affected, but G League employees were. The hope is to bring the staffers back in November, depending on when the 2020/21 season gets underway.
James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area makes a case that Villanova forward Saddiq Bey is an ideal fit for the Kings with the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft.
Count the Warriors among the teams keeping a close eye on the Bucks’ fate in their second-round series against Miami, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. While the Heat and Raptors may be viewed as the strongest threats to lure Giannis Antetokounmpo out of Milwaukee, Golden State would also make every effort to do so if the opportunity arises.

Heat, Raptors May Be Frontrunners For Giannis Antetokounmpo

September 4th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

With the Bucks in a 2-0 hole against Miami, there may be a lot more at stake than just winning a playoff series. Several suitors have their eyes on Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Vincent G0odwill of Yahoo Sports, and Miami is making a strong bid by winning the first two games.

The Heat and Raptors are considered the frontrunners to eventually land Antetokounmpo, with one source telling Goodwill it’s an “open secret” on the Disney World campus. The Bucks star is headed for free agency in 2021 if he doesn’t agree to a new deal with Milwaukee. General manager Jon Horst has said the team plans to offer a supermax deal to the reigning MVP, but Antetokounmpo’s interest in staying with the Bucks could be tied to their playoff success.

Although Antetokounmpo has put up impressive numbers in the first two games against Miami, averaging 24.5 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, the Heat defense designed by coach Eric Spoelstra has made him work for everything. Goodwill notes that Milwaukee has looked off-balance so far, with Miami dictating the style and pace of play.

“This is what great players do, present challenges,” Spoelstra said of facing Antetokounmpo. “You want it to be easy? It’s not gonna be easy. He’s not gonna stop. He’s incredibly gifted and aggressive and he’s gonna put you in compromising positions.”

Goodwill suggests Antetokounmpo might benefit from playing for an elite coach like Spoelstra, just as LeBron James did at a similar stage of his career. James was already a dominant player when he came to Miami 10 years ago, but Spoelstra was able to challenge him to improve and led him to his first two NBA titles.

Antetokounmpo is the cornerstone of what Milwaukee been building for several years, and the decision on his next contract will determine the future of the franchise. The whispers about his departure will only get louder if the Bucks don’t find a way to get past the Heat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Defensive Player Of The Year

August 25th, 2020 at 5:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2019/20 season, the league confirmed today in a press release. Antetokounmpo’s win was first reported by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Antetokounmpo helped anchor a Milwaukee defense that ranked first in the NBA by a comfortable margin, with a 102.5 rating. The reigning MVP, who routinely guarded all five positions, averaged one steal and one block per game to go along with 11.4 DRPG, and opponents shot just 36.2% when he was the primary defender, per NBA.com.

Antetokounmpo, who is a strong favorite to win this year’s MVP award as well, received 75 of 100 possible first-place votes, beating out Lakers big man Anthony Davis and Jazz center Rudy Gobert for DPOY honors. Davis (14 first-place votes) was the runner-up, while Gobert (six first-place votes) finished third after winning the award in each of the last two seasons.

Here are the full results of the 2019/20 Defensive Player of the Year voting, according to the NBA’s announcement:

Antetokounmpo, Bucks (432 points)
Davis, Lakers (200)
Gobert, Jazz (187)
Ben Simmons, Sixers (32)
Bam Adebayo, Heat (17)
Patrick Beverley, Clippers (7)
Marcus Smart, Celtics (7)
Andre Drummond, Pistons/Cavaliers (5)
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (5)
Brook Lopez, Bucks (4)
Hassan Whiteside, Trail Blazers (3)
Jarrett Allen, Nets (1)

Besides Antetokounmpo, Davis, and Gobert, the other players receiving first-place votes were Simmons, Adebayo (two), Beverley, and Drummond.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.