"They've got the best player alive, they're the best team in basketball" - NBA analyst predicts Eastern Conference heavyweights to win it all after Game 1 heroics in Round 2
On Fox Sports' "First Things First," analyst Nick Wright praised Giannis Antetokounmpo, calling him the best player in the NBA. Wright also voiced his belief that the Milwaukee Bucks are the league's best team, stating:
"No, no, of course, I'm not surprised. They've got the best player alive. They're the best team in basketball. They're going to win a championship. The long tale of the Nets' failure has now infected this series, because it's caused people to overrate the Celtics.
"Milwaukee has the best rim protection, they do run an offense and they take the smartest shots. Even without Khris Middleton, even without Giannis playing really well, they can still handle Boston."
The Milwaukee Bucks took Game 1 with a 101-89 victory over the Boston Celtics, despite the absence of Khris Middleton. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 24 points, collected 13 rebounds and dished out 12 assists on the night.
"Of course I'm not surprised the Bucks took Game 1. They've got the best player alive, they're the best team in basketball, they're going to win a title. The long tale of the Nets failure has now infected this series. It's caused people to overrate the Celtics." — @getnickwright https://t.co/YKX9cF79Q2
Is the Giannis Antetokounmpo the frontrunner for the NBA MVP award?
Arguably the best player in the NBA right now, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on a tear over the last few years.
In the span of just three seasons, he has won two NBA MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year award, a championship and a Finals MVP.
Antetokounmpo is in the MVP conversation yet again as one of the finalists alongside Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić.
This season, Antetokounmpo averaged 29.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. He shot 55.3% from the field and 29.3% from beyond the arc.
Giannis also recorded four triple-doubles and 46 double-doubles. In addition to his impressive all-around play, he scored over 40 points 10 times and over 30 points 34 times.
These are surreal numbers from the reigning Finals MVP. His passing has also continued to be underrated as he recorded 24 games with seven or more assists.
He finished the year on a strong note, averaging over 32 points and 11 rebounds per game in his final 13 games. Despite his incredible finish to the season, many favor Embiid and Jokic ahead of him for the award.