Rank the Cs defenders against Giannis

[Vermont Green]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

[Moranis]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

To be fair, Giannis gets calls because he actually gets fouled.  He has incredible body control and athleticism for a man his size. 

[GetLucky]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

[liam]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

[nyceltsfan]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

[gouki88]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

Not really. Look at what Toronto did to him a couple of years ago - forced turnovers and inefficiency because of the amount of athletic wing defenders they could throw at him. I think we can emulate that for sure.

[liam]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

Giannis is getting a crazy good whistle tonight against the Bulls even on the challenge.

[gouki88]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

Giannis is getting a crazy good whistle tonight against the Bulls even on the challenge.

He gets a good whistle, but his play-style also puts opposition defenders in horribly awkward positions. He's immensely long, athletic, strong and a decent enough passer to punish half-hearted double teams.

The Bulls are simply not equipped to even slow him down

[liam]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

Giannis is getting a crazy good whistle tonight against the Bulls even on the challenge.

He gets a good whistle, but his play-style also puts opposition defenders in horribly awkward positions. He's immensely long, athletic, strong and a decent enough passer to punish half-hearted double teams.

The Bulls are simply not equipped to even slow him down

They don't have the players with the length or strength that we do.

[SHAQATTACK]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

Giannis is getting a crazy good whistle tonight against the Bulls even on the challenge.

He gets a good whistle, but his play-style also puts opposition defenders in horribly awkward positions. He's immensely long, athletic, strong and a decent enough passer to punish half-hearted double teams.

The Bulls are simply not equipped to even slow him down

They don't have the players with the length or strength that we do.

I ve noticed he doesn’t like playing guys equal or taller to himself .  He ll Jack up more outside shots.   

[pokeKingCurtis]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

I agree with the ethos of this. I think Theis (foot speed) and GWill (strength) will be the main primary defenders of Giannis, with Smart, Jaylen, and Jayson as ideal switch candidates and change-of-pace primary defenders for a handful of possessions a game. I expect to see Al and Timelord playing a quasi-zone and hanging back to double or be a second line of defense most of the game. Giannis is a bit tougher because he will get into the paint, unlike Durant, who could be slowed down by Jaylen/Grant/Tatum's strength. On the other hand, you don't have to stick to him 35 feet away from the basket. I expect to see a bend-don't-break D from the Celtics as opposed to the chippy, all-denial one they played on Kyrie and KD.

I think the Celtics can attack Giannis' handle like they did to Durant. Giannis is a lot stronger than Durant but I think his handle is suspect.

His handle doesn't matter if the refs allow him to take 4-5 steps.

Giannis is getting a crazy good whistle tonight against the Bulls even on the challenge.

He gets a good whistle, but his play-style also puts opposition defenders in horribly awkward positions. He's immensely long, athletic, strong and a decent enough passer to punish half-hearted double teams.

The Bulls are simply not equipped to even slow him down

They don't have the players with the length or strength that we do.

I ve noticed he doesn’t like playing guys equal or taller to himself .  He ll Jack up more outside shots.

So true. I think the weirdest dudes have a good time against Giannis. As mentioned above I think Kornet might have had a couple possessions, maybe Kanter?

[jpotter33]

1. Horford
2. Grant
3. Tatum
4. Jaylen
5. Timelord
6. Smart

The rest aren't particularly relevant. I don't want Tatum to cover Giannis too much because of how easily Giannis draws fouls. Horford has played excellent defence against him historically. Grant looks super locked in on defence. I ranked TL and Smart lowly, more because I think they're best suited elsewhere on defence

This, except I put Smart in front of Timelord to throw a different look in there.

Al has been about as good of a defender on Giannis as anyone in the NBA, and I think Grant will do well on him, too. You only put Tatum and Brown on him for spot minutes to avoid foul trouble, and I'm fine with switching Smart on him occasionally to give a different look.

[jpotter33]

I think Theis is the best for the job for a few reasons.  Maybe the most relevant is that whoever is on Giannis is going to rack up the fouls.  Then on to the next.

They are going to need to double Giannis in sets anyway, or at least some form of rotation.  And there are also going to be a lot of switches.  I would rather see Horford on Lopez than on Giannis.  Don't need to have Horford picking up unnecessary fouls.

Grant Williams will probably get the secondary assignment on Giannis.  RWill on Portis or Lopez.  Neither of these guys can stop Giannis one on one so it doesn't really matter.  May as well let Grant take him.

You want Theis on him BECAUSE he'll pick up fouls?  That's... an interesting take.

Yes, Giannis is going to get every call no matter who is on him.  I would rather Theis get into foul trouble over Horford, for example.  We will have combinations of bigs on the floor, if Theis is on the floor, he should be the primary Giannis defender.  Next up is Grant Williams.  At times (hopefully fairly often), it is going to be Horford and RWilliams on the floor.  In that case, Horford can take him.  We don't want to get to the end of the game and have Horford and RWilliams in foul trouble.  Better to have Theis and GWilliams save them from fouls.

To be fair, Giannis gets calls because he actually gets fouled.  He has incredible body control and athleticism for a man his size.

He also uses his off arm like a blind guy trying to find his way around a dark room.

[mig3zwo]

I think we might see some Smart against Giannis. Smart is way shorter, so when he flops (yeah he does that!), he might draw some charges.
Tatum will try... lets see if he can adjust from Durant to Giannis. It'd be a shame if he fouled out at half time.

I'd start Theis on him... and tell him to foul him pretty hard. He might shoot more and drive less after that.

[timpiker]

Aw man if only the Clippers waived Semi earlier.

Semi just shuts Giannis down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No5W9zeImCQ&ab_channel=TomaszKordylewski - Ojeleye muscle factory highlights against Giannis for those who forgot

Yep.  This is what I thought of when Semi was no longer with the team.  Giannis and Embiid.  What to do what to do?