Analyzing the Boston Celtics defensive prowess against Giannis Antetokounmpo

Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 36-point display during a February 14 131-125 win over the Boston Celtics, the Cs showed once again why they are and have been a thorn in the former MVPs side.

The players out there for the Celtics on Tuesday night in Milwaukee should be proud of the kind of display they managed to piece together. It took Jrue Holiday going nuclear to outlast Boston without four of its top-ten players in its rotation at the Fiserv Forum. Six players scored in double figures as the Boston Celtics raised plenty of eyebrows on national television once again. It was not only players stepping up on the offensive end, but the contributions on the defensive side of the ball caused a lot of struggle for an offense led by a two-time MVP winner.

Down the road, in order for the Cs to find their way back to the NBA Finals, they are going to have to go through Giannis Antetokounmpo. What makes this Boston roster so special is the players that are available to guard the six-foot-11 28-year-old forward. Even with the entire team not healthy, the Celtics managed to turn Antetokounmpo over an astounding eight times.

That is tied for the third-highest giveaway total by the Greek superstar this season. Antetokounmpo is 4-5 in the last nine games against Boston, shooting under 50% from the field in seven of those contests. To put that into perspective, Antetokounmpo has shot over 51% from the field over the last seven seasons including this campaign.

The Celtics are one of two teams along with the Atlanta Hawks that have held the two-time MVP under 50% from the field in a single contest. With the help of Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams III, Antetokounmpo shot 12 for 26 from the field in 46 minutes on the floor. Williams guarded Antetokounmpo on 22 possessions, allowing just four points while he shot a poor 1/5 from the field.

Compared to other contenders around the NBA, Boston is well equipped to limit Antetokounmpo as much as possible. It is not just Al Horford, the Cs have three or four players. including guards, that have the ability to make life extremely tough for the most dominant player in the NBA.

Due to the player that he is, Antetokounmpo is going to get his points one way or another. He had 36 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists on Valentine’s Day against Boston. Those numbers are frankly deceiving, along with most of his numbers against the Celtics given how difficult it is for the “Greek Freak” to put the ball in the basket.

The key is to spread his production out, and not get discouraged when he finds a way to finish through tough contact around the rim. Making the 28-year-old a jump-shooter, and putting him on the free-throw line only slows him down so much. Physicality is key when playing a superstar like this, and Horford and Williams are magicians at that. Not for a second do they back down to a player that has built himself into one of the most lethal finishers in the association.

There were without questions mistakes by the Boston Celtics defense where it gave Antetokounmpo far too much room to drive into the paint. Against the Celtics this season, the Greek star is a -6.5, but against the other top contender in the East, the 76ers, Antetokounmpo is a +0.5 while shooting 50% from the floor, and turning the ball over on just three occasions over the course of the game.

Over the two meetings so far this season, the Celtics how shown they know how to turn Antetokounmpo mistakes into easy baskets on the other end. 19 turnovers for the Bucks, and 27 points off of those giveaways by Boston this past Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo is shooting over 70% when it comes to shots five feet or closer on average this season, but against Boston, his average jumps down to 55%. In the two games that Athens native played against Philadelphia, he is shooting right around average at 68% within the restricted area.

The Boston Celtics give Giannis Antetokounmpo more trouble than most

Nothing comes easy for the two-time MVP whenever he meets up against the Cs. Boston’s physicality for the majority of the time in the half court makes Antetokounmpo concede into taking a jump-shot rather than finding a way into the teeth of the defense.

For the Cs, the No. 34 is always going to be in the way of the goal they seek at the end of the season. The way Brad Stevens has constructed this roster provides Boston with the bodies to match up well against the Eastern Conference’s two most dominant threats. On almost every night, a superstar like this is going to get his, but when staring down the green and white, the Milwaukee superstar knows he is going to have to earn every one of his baskets on the offensive end.