After a first part of the season in full control, Milwaukee passed the second in 2023 with the return of Khris Middleton. The Bucks are 49-19, the best in the league, and behind the Celtics and Nuggets let go. A status that could allow to have the advantage of the field until the NBA finals, but also to bring back some individual rewards in Wisconsin. And it’s not Jon Horst, the GM of the Bucks, who thinks otherwise. “It’s part of my job, and I believe in it, to fight for these guys and frankly I think we should have a number of individual trophies in our team this year” he assured.
Giannis snubbed by voters?
If Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum or even Joël Embiid mainly make the headlines in the race for the MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo yet achieves a monstrous new season which curiously goes quite unnoticed. The two-time MVP averages 31.5 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists, not to mention his enormous defensive contribution, and the fact that he had to deal with the long absence of Khris Middleton. The Greek could even become at the end of the season the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1966 to post averages of 31 pts-12 rbds-5 pds! All while having the best record in the entire NBA. For the GM of the Bucks, voters now trivialize the performance of his colt. As might have been the case for LeBron James a few years ago
“I think sometimes, and I say this respectfully, there is voter fatigue or greatness fatigue, or whatever you want to call it. Giannis is our league’s MVP. We started the season with a 9-0 start, the best start in franchise history without Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton, two of our mainstays. launched Jon Horst. “He is clearly the MVP of our team and if I can say that, it’s because we are the best team in the league. I don’t know if we’ll end up like this, but from a regular season perspective and it’s mostly a regular season reward, he’s having the best year of any player.”.
Brook Lopez, the great wall of the Bucks
Other player that the GM wishes to defend and highlight: Brook Lopez. Having become a very good shooter with age, but also a remarkable defender, Robin’s brother has clearly taken a step forward this season. While Rudy Gobert, Marcus Smart and Draymond Green seem to be out of the race for the trophy, Lopez appears as one of the favorites alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. Lately, he has improved his candidacy with his 9 blocks against the Nets! As a result, he runs at 2.5 blocks per game on average. It’s the league’s third-best mark this season behind Jackson Jr. and Nic Claxton. In his wake, Milwaukee has the third-best defensive rating this season, and Lopez looks set to bring back the Best Defenseman of the Year trophy, won by Giannis in 2020.
“The DPOY is on our team. And he plays almost every night. Brook Lopez is amazing. He contests more shots than anyone. He had the most blocks this season in the league (169). He does them without committing a fault. emphasizes Jon Horst. “He scores more baskets this season. He’s a great communicator. He is an altruistic star. He absolutely deserves to be rewarded this year. I think all of this is important. If this team is good, it is thanks to its consistency. It’s our anchor and it plays every night. He’s improved, and he’s having his best season of his career. It’s incredible “.
