Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best current player in the world. The Greek freak is elite on both ends of the court. Having won his first NBA championship in 2021 to go along with a Finals MVP, Giannis is now firmly established in the league. Facing him is a nightmare for opposition players, as his combination of strength and agility makes him a nightmare to defend.
The best defensive teams in the league struggle to gameplan for Giannis; they have to resort to building walls with multiple players to keep him out of the paint. Alex Caruso has established himself as a key role player in the league, he is a champion himself with the Lakers, and a large part of his success has been thanks to his defensive tenacity.
When asked about what it’s like to stop Giannis, Caruso admitted that it’s hard, but he had an interesting point to make about why it is so on JJ Redick’s Old Man and the Three podcast.
“They don’t call any offensive fouls on Giannis, it’s hard to guard him.”
Antetokounmpo has a reputation for playing bully ball in the paint; he is often regarded to be the most dominant player around the basket since Shaquille O’Neal. It’s no surprise, then, to know that he gets to the free throw line quite often with the amount of contact he absorbs. However, it is true that he often also gets away with initiating contact in his efforts to move defenders out of his way, something Marcus Smart once spoke about.
Caruso doesn’t have a reputation for being very outspoken, so this is an interesting take coming from him. Giannis did get called for several offensive fouls during these playoffs, so it would seem that NBA referees are being more vigilant with the situation. However, it remains true that since the only way to stop him is to be as physical as possible, he gets fouled as much as he gets away with it.
