“The Celtics cannot hope to win if Giannis plays like that” Kendrick Perkins lauds Giannis Antetokounmpo as Cavs’ LeBron James 2.0
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Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James
Kendrick Perkins commented on the way Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated Game 1 against the mighty Boston Celtics and warned his former team to have difficult time head. He even compared Giannis with young LeBron James.
Milwaukee Bucks convincingly defeated Boston Celtics in the first match of their semi-final series. That was easier to say than done, but the physical aspect involved in-game made it difficult for both teams. Only player who seemed unfazed by it was Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis managed to score a triple-double in Game 1 and never seemed tired of it. C’s won the series against Brooklyn on more of the same physical ground, but playing against Giannis and the Milwaukee was an altogether different experience for them. Kendrick Perkins pointed out the difficulty of stopping Giannis in this series.
Comparing Giannis to young LeBron James, Perkins said that “Giannis Antetokounmpo right now is giving me vibes of LeBron James, meaning any team that is trying to coming out of the Eastern conference, I think Giannis is gonna be standing in their way.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo in Boston Celtics’ way of progression
Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics series was supposed to be a physical encounter right from the start. The bucks led the league with the number of personal fouls in the postseason. Celtics also showed their physical side of the game as they closed down Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 1st round with tough defense. C’s were rewarded with the only series sweep till now in the 2022 playoffs, but now they are a victim of their style of play.
Just like against Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics’ defense targeted Bucks’ top scorer to have an advantage in the game. But Giannis Antetokounmpo was no KD or Kyrie. He bulldozed through the defense and even set up his teammates whenever possible to make most of the ball possession.
Antetokounmpo scored mere 24 points (by his standards) but made up with a strong overall performance. He grabbed 13 rebounds and assisted 12 times to hurt Celtics’ defensive plans. Jrue Holiday chipped in with 25 points and Bobby Portis also put up a double-double with 11 rebounds and 15 points. All this was possible just because Greek-freak was marshaling complete court, giving Celtics very few openings.
Giannis comparison with young LeBron James
Former Celtics big man and NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins warned Boston to look for beast Giannis in the series. He said, “Celtics are going to be in “big trouble” if Giannis plays how he did last night.” He also compared Giannis with young LeBron James, as it was King James ruling the Eastern Conference.
LeBron managed to bring some glory to Cleveland right after his rookie years. In five straight playoff appearances with LeBron James in his first tenure with Cleveland, the franchise won more playoff games than they lost each season. This was done only once before by them. Also, LBJ helped Cavs clinch 5 Eastern conference titles (all in the LeBron era only) and 1st ever NBA Championship in 2016.
Similarly, Giannis had awesome production and success rate for the Bucks. He guided Bucks in their 2nd NBA Title in franchise history and has a greater impact on plays. The style of play, involving teammates in plays, and clutch moment decisions are some similarities between both superstars.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)