Giannis Antetokounmpo has Arrived
The Milwaukee Bucks Super Star Giannis Antetokounmpo came out blazing against a Boston Celtics and the noise is beginning to grow even larger for the 22 year old Greek player who has grown his game leaps and bounds every year since he’s been in the league.
Giannis AKA the Greek Freak came into the league unpolished but he was still so raw. His natural talent was and is off the charts and while he is still a few years away from his prime, he still has room to grow.
Amazing for someone who picked up basketball only six years before being drafted, then turn into a player dominating the league.
Background
Drafted 15th by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013, the Greek Freak was still developing into his body. He is actually still growing into his body, from his pre-draft statistics showing him at 6'9'’ to his now 6'11'’ frame. He comes back each season with a bigger body it seems.
Giannis in an early interview mentions Kevin Durant as someone he looks up too along with Magic Johnson. Even though Durant is not the most loved person right now, He is still a top 3 player, and Durant gives some amazing praise calling Giannis the number one player he likes to watch, and that the Greek Freak could eventually become the best player of all time, if he really wanted too.
He has seen his personal statistics rise each year in the league and he was in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks & steals last year. Did I mention he is the only player in NBA history to complete such a feat.
Giannis and his game have made some serious strides, enough to be named: 2016–2017 NBA All Defensive Second Team All NBA Second Team, and NBA Most Improved Player. One of the knocks on his game has been defense and after being named second team, hopefully that silences the critics a bit.
After just one game in the NBA 2017–2018 season, it’s still to early to tell where he will finish in regular season awards but expect him to contend for MVP and first team honors. If he could replicate 81 more games like his first then you could give him the trophy, team would be 82–0 and he would likely be a scoring champion and number one in traditional defensive statistics.
How likely is that to happen? Not likely, but really what does it matter. He is so young that trying to project him would almost be disrespectful to him because he is a top 10 player now. When no one was sure what he would be when he was drafted. He was a mystery coming into the league, a foreign player that didn’t get praise right away. People still do not know how to pronounce his last name, and to be honest, the second time I say it is always better than the first.
Barring injury he could end up becoming the MVP, if his team can win some games and the team finish with top 3 seed in the east, why not? That might be another player’s hashtag but there is no denying Giannis’ raw athleticism and developing jump shot. His team asks a lot of him but thats because he has the potential to be one of the best in the world. Maybe just maybe one of the greatest.
He is not going to sneak up on anyone this year. He is a well known commodity especially the nice showing in the playoffs last year against the Toronto Raptors. Scoring 24.8 PPG, 53.6 FG%, 9.5 RPG, and 4 APG was not enough to lift the Bucks to the 2nd round but it was his coming out party.
Ask two years ago, if he was the franchise player he is today? Answers might come back to wait and see but Jason Kidd gave him the keys to the car and has not looked back since. From playing in the second tier conference Greek A2 Basket League in Greece to playing in the NBA, Giannis has exceeded anyone’s wildest expectations, and he is still not done.
While we are still years away from his prime its just unreal to watch what he is doing in the league right now. At 6'11'’ with a wingspan at 7' that can handle the ball like a guard and slam it home with such force that makes you feel bad for the rim. Once he adds the 3 at a clip closer to 35% instead of 25%, and makes another leap on defense, no one will be able to guard him.
No one expected what they see now, and maybe he will surprise the world again with what’s yet to come.
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