James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo Are Not Your Dad’s Point Guards
What a point guard is supposed to do on the court is a fluid variety of unselfish actions, coach-directed instructions and more general balling out (driving, kicking, shooting, stealing, etc.). The list about what a good floor general does and doesn’t do could go on and on, and that debate has flared up around versatile players like Russell Westbrook and Allen Iverson who twist, contort and all but obliterate the point guard mold into something more hectic, dangerous and thrilling.
Now it’s time to add two other NBA stars to the category of unconventional point men: James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Surprise, surprise. The lefty with the beard who shoots step-back threes, gets to the foul line more than anyone and seemingly prides his buckets over his team’s buckets is now meant to lead an offensive system and initiate half-court plays. Same with the Greek Freak, who has a sub-30 three-point shooting percentage for his career and is around eight inches taller than your average point guard.
How exactly are these two supposed to get it done for the Rockets and Bucks? Well, Harden has seen some time here and there at the position, both in OKC and in Houston, but that was typically leading a second unit where he was the best ballhandler or times when he just had to score the damn ball because no one else would. Still, he’s not the first 2-guard that comes to mind when thinking of team-oriented wing players — although his assists have increased every single year he’s been in the league.
The somewhat inaccurate, often negative perception around Harden is partly to blame for that. Vines (RIP) and GIFS of him missing assignments on defense, just how much he shoots and the fact that he was traded from the loaded Thunder — even though he had no say — have all lent to this idea of Harden as a gunner and nothing else. It’s not totally true; Harden’s averaged over seven assists each of the past two seasons and is still able to get up around 20 shots a game. But actually being the full-time point guard is a whole different challenge for him.
The makings of Point Giannis began late last season, as the Bucks realized they weren’t very good, weren’t going anywhere and what the hell. Turns out, the lanky, ginormous Giannis might actually have a future in this point guard thing. He had a blistering finish to the season, putting up post All-Star Game numbers of 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists over 28 games. He’s only 21 years old, too.
But again that nasty stigma around positions, best fit and team chemistry comes biting back. Magic Johnson and LeBron James have both been de facto point guards despite their height and size, but Giannis is even taller than those two. Much like a quarterback has a perfect height around 6’5” or so (think Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) and going much taller than that can be a bad thing (ahem Brock Osweiler), is 6’11” just too damn tall to be a point guard? The Bucks don’t think so and, while the Warriors are ~changing~ the league, Milwaukee is constructing their own Dr. Frankenstein mashup of several different positions and playing styles into one unstoppable PG.
So far, the results for both have been a little ironic and firmly place them on one side of the eternal yelling match of a “true point guard.” What I mean is that both Harden and Giannis put up tremendous individual numbers in losing efforts. Harden finished with 34 points, 17 assists (!!!), eight rebounds and seven turnovers in a loss to the Lakers. Giannis had a similarly eye-popping statistical game in a close loss to the Hornets, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
It’s way too early to praise or doom these two experiments, but it is nonetheless interesting how perfectly their first games fit the common criticisms of today’s non-traditional point guards:
SB: They didn’t win the game! Who cares if he put up over 30 points? He looked like LeBron with how many wrong passes he made.
SS: Who cares?! Oh, cmon! Did you watch the game? DID? YOU? WATCH? THE? GAME? The teammates didn’t help him out! He did everything he could to win!
SB: Point guards should pass, not score. 34 points and 17 assists? Not going to get it done. He should’ve had 8 points and 30 assists!
SS: Point guard! Point! DO YOU SEE WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY TO YOU? Point guard!
SB: Points for the whole team! And they didn’t get enough! Entirely because of him!
SS: *exaggerated scoffing*
Regardless, the Rockets and Bucks seasons probably hinge on the success of Harden and Giannis in their new roles. If Harden can still get his while incorporating the breadth of shooters around him in Mike D’Antoni’s Seven-Seconds-Or-Less offense, they could actually set the league on fire. And if Giannis can do his Russ-type thing with near triple-doubles and get Jabari Parker and company rolling, then the Bucks should actually live up to their status as one of the most promising and exciting teams (whispers they still can’t shoot threes, though).
And in the grand scheme of things and pointlessly theorizing about THE FUTURE OF THE NBA, success for the Rockets and Bucks here would *GASP* mean that positionless basketball is here to stay. Ok, maybe not that, but if one guy who leads the league in scoring and another who is a 6’11” athletic freak can become effective point guards, we’re definitely in for a shakeup of the norm (i.e. a 6’2” guard who plays defense and averages around 15 and 10).
Karl-Anthony Towns already has better dribbling skills and innate offensive IQ than most big men in the league. When Ben Simmons comes back from injury, he’ll be yet another young player who can and should try out being a point guard. And just wait until UCLA’s 6'5", sweet-shooting Lonzo Ball enters the NBA. The league is definitely changing with spacing and three-point shooting, but what happens in Houston and Milwaukee could be the slow evolution of the game’s most important position.
