Key #2: Force Giannis to score all the points
The Suns should focus on shutting down Milwaukee players they match up well against. Mikal Bridges is the ideal defender to slow down Khris Middleton. Chris Paul and Devin Booker can slow down Jrue Holiday. Deandre Ayton has the size to match up with Brook Lopez. Unfortunately, they have no one to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak dropped a playoff career high in Game 2:
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 10, 2021
42 PTS | 12 REB | 4 AST | 3 BLK | 1 STL pic.twitter.com/4gFRUh2wSa
There is no shame in that. Only a handful of players can physically matchup with Giannis. I would take Ayton off Giannis and put him onto either Brook Lopez or PJ Tucker. Ayton would be better served keeping Lopez and Tucker off the boards. Moreover, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson have had some success keeping Giannis out of the paint by pressuring him. Giannis is not used to being pressured when he catches the ball on the wing.
Will this slow down Giannis? I doubt it. He is a two-time MVP for a reason. He is the most dominant NBA player we have seen since Shaquille O’Neal. But except for backup guard Pat Connaughton (14 points), everyone else struggled to score points.
The other four starters had trouble scoring points in Game 2. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton missed several key shots in Game 2 but combined for 15 of the Milwaukee’s 21 assists on the night. Milwaukee got a staggering 18 offensive rebounds thanks to PJ Tucker and Brook Lopez’s work on the offensive glass. Yet these four players only combined for 43 points, only one more point than Giannis scored.
That is crazy. Let Giannis dominate and shut down everyone else.