How Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez are making their case for the DPOY award

Giannis and Brook are among the leading candidates for DPOY.

Over the last few years, the Milwaukee Bucks have been among the top defensive teams in the NBA. But they were expected to take a back seat as the coaching staff was trying to introduce a new defensive scheme. Despite that, the Bucks have the best defense in the NBA and by a long margin as well with a defensive rating of 105.8.

The pairing that is responsible for this is the frontcourt duo of Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with both of them making a case for the 'Defensive Player Of The Year' award.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

One of the reasons Giannis is considered the best player in the NBA is that he is an outstanding two-way player. The 2x MVP is unstoppable on the offensive end, but he does not take any breaks on the other side of the floor. Antetokounmpo can guard all five positions, and he does it with ease. His versatility allows the Bucks to put him on perimeter and post players.

Giannis is currently averaging 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. When opponents are guarded by the Bucks superstar, their efficiency drops by 7%. The Greek Freak also ranks third in the NBA in terms of defensive rating (100.9). 

Giannis is one of the leading candidates for the MVP award, and he might be on track to win both the DPOY and the MVP award together once again after he did it in 2019.

Brook Lopez

Last season, the Bucks missed their starting center, who was dealing with injuries. Even when he came back, he struggled to adjust, and that put a cap on Milwaukee's postseason hopes. But Lopez has been a star this season, as he is one of the main reasons why the Bucks are the number one defense in the NBA. 

With the revamped defense, Lopez has been asked to do a lot. And he has responded brilliantly by anchoring the paint.

Lopez contests over 23 shots per game, which is number one in the league by a mile. Opponents shoot 3% less than usual when guarded by Lopez. He is ranked 9th in terms of defensive rating (102.0), and he is the only center in the Top 10. 

Brook is also ranked second in terms of blocks, with 2.8 per game. His teammates have raved about him and have campaigned for him to get his first DPOY award. Eighteen games into the season, he's on track to do so.