1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Milwaukee Bucks
Realistically the throne for best player of 2019 was never going to be any player but the reigning Most Valuable Player for 2018-19 and the frontrunner for the same award in 2019-20. Giannis Antetokounmpo has clearly been the league’s best player over the past calendar year.
That dominance starts with the box score, where Antetokounmpo is efficient and prolific. Since Jan.1, the Greek Freak has averaged 29.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 56.8 percent from the field. He is first among the league’s top 25 scorers in field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage. His efficiency at his volume is dominant.
Antetokounmpo is also not merely maintaining the status quo, but is improving his game as well. Last season he attempted a career-high 2.8 3-pointers per game, hitting them at simply a 25.6 percent clip. This season he has increased that volume to 5.1 3-pointers per game, hitting those at a 32.1 percent rate.
If he can continue to improve as an outside shooter he may become nearly unstoppable on offense.
What makes his offensive attack even more prolific is that he brings intensity at the other end as well. Antetokounmpo’s length, strength and quickness make him a strong on-ball defender as well as an elite weakside shot-blocker. He brings rim protection, perimeter defense and help defense in one package.
If Antetokounmpo snares a defensive rebound he can immediately initiate a fast break. In short, Antetokounmpo puts pressure on opponents in every facet of the game.
Antetokounmpo receives individual recognition for his accomplishments, including his MVP award and a first-team All-Defensive team nod in 2018-19. The team success is tremendous as well, with the Bucks a league-best 57 wins in 2019 with a net rating of plus-9.9 that nearly laps the field.
The second-place Houston Rockets (plus-6.5) are about as close to the 10th-place Orlando Magic than to the first-place Bucks.
The NBA is filled with stars, making the experience better for all who are watching and the competition fiercer for all who are playing. This past year has brought plenty of drama, entertainment and intrigue, and the cast of characters who have propelled it are fascinating in their own right.
The top 10 players of 2019 are a talented group, and they are headlined by the league’s best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. We can only hope 2020 is as exciting as 2019 was, and just as star-filled.