![]() ![]() Despite his MVP candidacy, Embiid isn't either. Harris is not a traditional late-game scorer. They've done so in large part behind their ability to hunt the right matchups. But the 76ers have quietly climbed to seventh in clutch offense by scoring over 116 points per 100 possessions this season. Having a shooter as weak as Ben Simmons creates undeniable limitations. There has been plenty of consternation over the years regarding Philly's late-game offense. ![]() Here's Tobias Harris' first bucket of overtime. Well, let's check in on Philadelphia's overtime offense. A team's ability to get the right scorer the ball in the right spot against the right defender is usually going to determine whether it wins or loses. Target acquiredĬrunch time, and by extension, basically all of overtime, is about matchups. Here are the most important takeaways from Philadelphia's win. Embiid was back in this one, though, and that taught us quite a bit about how a possible Finals matchup between these teams would play out. The Jazz and 76ers met once before earlier in the season, but with Embiid out, there wasn't much of value to be learned out of that Utah victory. The Jazz led by as many as 13, but an MVP-caliber performance from Joel Embiid gave the 76ers a hard-fought 131-123 overtime victory that assured their place atop the Eastern Conference standings heading into the All-Star break. 1 seeds meet only twice per season by virtue of playing in opposing conferences, but boy, did the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers make their rare battle count on Wednesday. Nonetheless, if anyone is capable of authoring a defensive season that simply cannot be denied, it’s likely Antetokounmpo.The NBA's two No. Without delving into a thorough exploration of armchair psychology, suffice it to say that it seems as if voters like rewarding new players with awards. If that trend continues, the superstar is unlikely to garner much consideration for the award.įurthermore, Antetokounmpo faces a barrier that’s outside of his control in voter fatigue (more on that later). Having said that, Antetokounmpo’s Defensive Rating took a major slide last season, from a league-leading 97 in 2019-20 all the way to 107. That’s such rarified air that you don’t even need a vaccination to safely breathe it. ![]() He became just the third player in NBA history to win both awards in a single season, joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. In the second of those back-to-back MVP awards, Antetokounmpo also took home the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year award. It may have been the first season in two years that he didn’t walk away with the league’s MVP award, but we’re pretty confident he’s content with his Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Championship. Antetokounmpo was the same two-way terror we’ve come to expect last season. Milwaukee Bucks fans may feel as if the Greek Freak is the rightful claimant to this award on an annual basis, and frankly, they may have a case. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert vs Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Here he is ranked among the other top candidate for the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Gobert will invariably be in the mix for his fourth award. Rudy Gobert has been the best rim protector in basketball for several years now, and that trend projects to continue into 2021-22. No matter: Utah Jazz fans should still like their guys’ odds. Furthermore, voters may have the image of Gobert struggling to defend against the Los Angeles Clippers’ five-out formations in the Western Conference semifinals fresh in their minds. The NBA is littered with elite defenders. The Defensive Player of the Year award may not hold the same luster as the Most Valuable Player award (as casual fans tend to underrate the impact of defense), but it’s still a prestigious honor.Īs always, the competition will be stiff. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert is a 3x Defensive Player of the Year, but fans in Salt Lake City hope he won’t rest on his laurels in pursuit of a fourth trophy. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports) ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |