Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in Bucks-Raptors. That should scare Toronto.

There are many good and smart reasons that you can think of for why the Toronto Raptors will beat the Milwaukee Bucks. There’s one reason to think they won’t, and that one exhibited itself in the Bucks’ 97-83 Game 1 win: they don’t have the best player on the floor.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was incredible on both ends of the floor as Milwaukee stole Saturday’s game on Toronto’s home floor. Let his stat line do the talking: 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one emphatic block.

It was Antetokounmpo with the first four points for Milwaukee to open the game, and eight in the first quarter. It was Antetokounmpo with statement dunks like this, which set a tone and showed a brand of athleticism with which Toronto couldn’t keep up. Look at this! Which NBA player but Giannis attempts to dunk this?!

With two minutes remaining, right after nailing a jumper, Antetokounmpo swatted this away.

Antetokounmpo wasn’t perfect — his 13-of-18 shooting is both incredible and highlights that he probably could have shot even more. There were times, especially in the first half, that P.J. Tucker stifled him by sagging way off and standing firm with his strength. But ultimately, no single player is capable of stopping Antetokounmpo forever, especially if he hits a couple jump shots. They simply can’t, because how many plays can do this.

That Antetokounmpo is 6’11, and has his absurd wingspan, and has smooth athleticism, and can dribble like a guard, all adds up to a player that the NBA really has never encountered before. We’ve seen big men who dribble, or ones who can jump out of the gym, or ones that have arms that stretch into the cosmos — just never all three at once. Antetokounmpo is a true unicorn, and he’s 22 years old.

TWENTY TWO. HOLY S***.

Milwaukee is only up 1-0, and this still feels like Toronto’s best team since they emerged four years ago. Adding players like Serge Ibaka and Tucker give the Raptors an edge they haven’t had in recent years, and that’s important. Kyle Lowry is incredibly good, even if he hasn’t always played like it in the postseason. If he can get going, and DeMar DeRozan can play better, then the Raptors likely have the highest non-Cavaliers ceiling in the conference.

Those things didn’t happen in Game 1, though, and you can absolutely credit the Bucks’ defense for that. It’s not all Antetokounmpo, but he’s an enormous part of it. Much of Milwaukee’s lineup mirrors him, with their looming arms and gigantic strides. Thon Maker had several great moments in Game 1, while rookie Malcolm Brogdon played great.

But it’s Antetokounmpo in the middle making it all happen, and he owned Game 1. That’s Toronto’s biggest problem, and why Milwaukee absolutely has a chance.