NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2018-19 Defensive Player of the Year award

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

People know Mike Budenholzer for his 3-point heavy offenses, but his ability to field top-10 defenses is just as important to the Milwaukee Bucks‘ success in 2018-19. It’s also a huge boon to Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s chances of becoming a legitimate DPOY candidate in his sixth NBA season.

At 6’11”, with an otherworldly wingspan, the Greek Freak is a mass of flailing limbs that would put Eddie Brock to shame. He will legitimately be able to defend positions 1-5 soon enough, and after averaging 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game last year, this could be the season that he takes his game to an elite level on the defensive end.

Under Bud, the Bucks’ 17th-ranked defense is bound to improve. There’s just too much length for it to fail, and Giannis is the centerpiece of it all. Milwaukee’s defense was 5.7 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor last year, and if it shows enough improvement this year, the Greek Freak could rapidly establish himself as one of the finalists for the award.