#MCM- Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Milwaukee Bucks
@Hoover__26 November 30
What if I told you, a 6’11” guard-forward (who isn’t done growing) could somehow have the ball handling ability and speed burst to score 17 points a game on elite defenders while averaging only 0.6 threes per game? You would say I was crazy. And I would point you in the direction of Giannis Antetokounmpo (who’s name, I’m proud to say, I can spell correctly without looking it up).
The only real way to describe the Greek Freak is as just that, a freak. His dunk-contest athleticism and ridiculous wingspan make him a real challenge to guard. He is also incredibly limber and quick for his size, which makes it a real challenge to be guarded by him. Plus, the craziest thing is, the third year player is just starting to get good. Giannis didn’t play in a very high level league in Greece, at least not as high as some other prospects from Europe. He played for Filathlitikos B.C., which isn’t exactly a step below the NBA. The only real reason that the club was promoted to the second tier of Greek basketball was the four players with the last name (say it with me) Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak was drafted, on average, 58th in espn.com leagues, making him the tenth small forward drafted. Giannis has outplayed that ranking so far this year, averaging 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. His True Shooting Percentage (my favorite offensive stat of all time) of .616 is through the roof, which just goes to show his efficiency. Having such a high TS% without a really strong three point shot or being a post player is quite rare, however. TS% takes into account all types of shots, and weighs them each differently, so a three is the most valuable. People like Stephen Curry and Kyle Korver usually lead the pack, with dunking bigs like DeAndre Jordan and Clint Capela following close behind. But Giannis isn’t a marksman from downtown, or someone who takes all his shots from within three feet. He is simply an efficient player with crazy size and potential who lights up the fantasy stat sheet. What more could you ask?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is this week’s #MCM, and he might just be the next big thing (literally and metaphorically) in the NBA!
The only real way to describe the Greek Freak is as just that, a freak. His dunk-contest athleticism and ridiculous wingspan make him a real challenge to guard. He is also incredibly limber and quick for his size, which makes it a real challenge to be guarded by him. Plus, the craziest thing is, the third year player is just starting to get good. Giannis didn’t play in a very high level league in Greece, at least not as high as some other prospects from Europe. He played for Filathlitikos B.C., which isn’t exactly a step below the NBA. The only real reason that the club was promoted to the second tier of Greek basketball was the four players with the last name (say it with me) Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak was drafted, on average, 58th in espn.com leagues, making him the tenth small forward drafted. Giannis has outplayed that ranking so far this year, averaging 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. His True Shooting Percentage (my favorite offensive stat of all time) of .616 is through the roof, which just goes to show his efficiency. Having such a high TS% without a really strong three point shot or being a post player is quite rare, however. TS% takes into account all types of shots, and weighs them each differently, so a three is the most valuable. People like Stephen Curry and Kyle Korver usually lead the pack, with dunking bigs like DeAndre Jordan and Clint Capela following close behind. But Giannis isn’t a marksman from downtown, or someone who takes all his shots from within three feet. He is simply an efficient player with crazy size and potential who lights up the fantasy stat sheet. What more could you ask?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is this week’s #MCM, and he might just be the next big thing (literally and metaphorically) in the NBA!