5 big questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has gotten off to a fantastic start for the Milwaukee Bucks — averaging 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. We’ve spent so much time gushing over him in our private email threads we though we might as well share the discussion with you. Here is the staff of The Step Back, answering five important questions about Giannis.
Should Giannis Antetokounmpo be starting in the All-Star Game this year?
Brandon Jefferson (@pengriffey_jr): Yes. Please vote him in America. I know a lot of you are tired of voting for things, but please do this for us. And by us I’m referring to Basketball Twitter of course. Giannis Antetokoummpo is the All-Star we need, not the one we deserve. (The Dark Knight quotes work well for everything. Seriously just replace “Batman” with your favorite person’s name and 90% of the time it turns out awesome). Giannis 2016!
Rory Masterson (@rorymasterson): Definitely. At this moment, just a few days prior to his 22nd birthday, Giannis is the fifteenth-leading scorer in the NBA. Assuming we’re slotting him as a guard, none of the five Eastern Conference guards ahead of him in scoring can match his rebounding, and only Isaiah Thomas is ahead of him in assists. Among that group, he boasts the highest rebounding, block and steal percentages, as well as the lowest defensive rating.
Read More: How Giannis Antetokounmpo became a big-time scorer without a jumper
Matt Rutkowski (@MontaWorldPeace): I guess that’s asking if he should get enough votes, which is in turn asking if he should be popular enough, which is in turn asking if people should like him lots and lots. Yes. People should like him a whole big bunch. If you like him more than any other NBA player, then that’s great! Now like him more than that. Everyone has room for that. If your soul explodes Mr. Creosote style, then so be it. We all have to sacrifice.
Philip Rossman-Reich (@philrsquared): Yes. It is hard to find a player who has had the kind of impact he has had. I think the real question is do you put him as a guard or a forward. It is forward obviously, but Antetokounmpo playing point guard (nominally) has only increased his value. He has thrived in the role. The next step is to win games. That will probably be what puts him over the top eventually.
Bryan Toporek (@btoporek): Should he start? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not as much. I’m expecting voters from Cleveland and New York to stuff the ballot box, particularly when it comes to the frontcourt spots, which means he’ll have to overcome LeBron James, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. That said, what’s more fun than having one point forward starting for the East? TWO point forwards starting for the East! And the Greek Freak, who is threatening to become the first player in more than a decade to average at least two blocks and two steals per game, is plenty deserving of a starting spot, notwithstanding Milwaukee’s mediocre record.
Matt Cianfrone (@Matt_Cianfrone): Absolutely. Antetokounmpo has probably been one of the fifteen best players in the NBA this season. Or at least close to it. So naming him one of the 12 best players in the East is an easy call.
Adam McGee (@AdamMcGee11): Without question. He’s unique. He’s a one man fastbreak as a point guard offensively and on the defensive end he’s probably playing his best at the center spot. Isn’t that kind of insanely diverse range of ability what the All-Star game should be all about? He’s one of the five best players in the East right now, and maybe we’ve finally reached a point where that’s enough to dislodge Carmelo Anthony. He should probably call up his old friend Zaza Pachulia and enlist Wyclef Jean’s help, just to be sure, though.
Does it matter if Giannis never develops a jump shot?
Jefferson: I used to think it did. Then this season happened. If the Bucks could surround him with enough capable shooters than he might not need to shoot a jumper ever again. Antetokounmpo’s form has gotten better since he first entered the league and he’s starting to make open shots more consistently this year. He’s a consistent jump shot away from being unstoppable, but being able to score at will isn’t too bad of fall-back plan.
Masterson: As long as he can effectively get to the basket — so, as long as he can take two forward steps from half-court, basically — then a reliable jumper is secondary because he’ll be creating so much more with that threat. Like Brandon said, surrounding him with good shooters will be key (miss you, Khris Middleton), but Giannis is, at this moment, putting up a career-best true shooting percentage of 59.1. Not too shabby for a dude whose shooting motion is as freakish as the rest of his game.
Rutkowski: I still think the answer is yes, but the amount of situations where the “yes” applies is shrinking. Unfortunately, that yes is tied to the strength of his competition. As his career progresses, and he is hopefully making deeper playoff runs he’s going to find more often that he is the primary assignment of an elite defender. He’s an astonishing mismatch in almost any setting, so it feels less likely that teams will want to switch if they can assign a Jimmy Butler or a locked-in LeBron to him. If they can go under the screen every time, Point Giannis becomes less of a threat. At least that’s how I picture it. Analysis isn’t my strong suit. I prefer drawing pictures of bidoofs.
Rossman-Reich: It will not matter now, but it will matter later on in his career. That is a long way away though as Antetokounmpo is still pretty young. He will need to develop a secondary aspect to his game as he gets older and loses some of his athleticism. Right now that gives him an edge with his length and speed, especially against bigger players. His ceiling is still pretty high, as good as he is. So Antetokounmpo will have to keep developing other skills to stay at the top. The jumper though will help him play late into his 30s. For now, it is not a huge concern.
Toporek: It will over the long haul, but only in the sense that it’ll cap his long-term ceiling. At age 21, he’s proving that he can be a dominant force despite posing little threat beyond the 3-point arc, but comparisons to LeBron James in this regard wouldn’t be quite accurate. While no one will mistake James with Stephen Curry, he’s shot above 30 percent from deep ever since his sophomore campaign, and he’s attempted fewer than three triples per game only twice in his 14-year career. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has yet to shoot north of 2.1 3-point attempts per game (which he’s doing this season) and is a career 27.2 percent shooter from downtown. As Matt and Philip noted, opponents will adjust to Antetokounmpo’s lack of a reliable jump shot by going under screens, which could prove particularly problematic come playoff time, when teams have the opportunity to craft extensive plans to stifle the Greek Freak.
Cianfrone: I always thought so but this season has changed my mind. Antetokounmpo has added a ton this year based strictly on his bulking up and mental game. So often this year he has attacked a defender and already known exactly how the defense will react when he breaks down that first guy. From there using the length he possesses and the newfound strength from time in the weight room he has become basically unstoppable. He may not age super well but I don’t think a lack of a jump shot will stop him from staying the superstar he has become this year for a fair amount of time.
McGee: This has been an ongoing source of discussion in the Bucks community surrounding not only Giannis, but Jabari Parker too. I’ve always felt the answer was interconnected as long as that pair are on the same team. Giannis can do so much for the team across the floor, that as long as at least three of the guys on the floor with him can shoot somewhat respectably, he can get away with missing a jumper. Jabari was a major obstacle to that, but with him shooting just below 37 percent from deep this season, it’s become considerably less important. If he’s surrounded with quality spacing, Giannis drives leave the opposing defense in a lose-lose situation. Mirza Teletovic is shooting 55 percent from 3-pointers attempted off Giannis’ passes at the moment, which seems to be indicative of that.
Prime Giannis Antetokounmpo or prime Tracy McGrady?
Jefferson: I don’t even want to validate this question with a response. But for the millennials out there that don’t remember prime TMAC I feel sorry for you.
Masterson: This one is going to be tough, but — well, alright. Merriam-Webster gives the relevant definition of “prime” as “the most active, thriving or satisfying stage or period.” Based on that, and on the fact that we don’t know exactly what “Prime Giannis Antetokounmpo” looks like, it is downright impossible to argue with 13-points-in-33-seconds-era T-Mac. That is monstrous.
Rutkowski: For what purpose? And from what perspective? For a team wanting a basketball player or for the me watching the basketball being played? I’ll assume you meant the second because I’m self-indulgent, and also it’s easier. Giannis. I want Giannis on my favorite team. I also want him giving interviews to my favorite outlets. I also want him recommending places to eat in my hometown. I also want him voicing my GPS. And he’s not even in his prime yet.
Rossman-Reich: Being the resident Magic expert. Prime Tracy McGrady. He could have done everything Giannis was doing if he had the teammates worth doing it for.
Toporek: Again, I’ll echo Matt: This is somewhat impossible since we don’t know what prime Antetokounmpo looks like. Prime McGrady woke up, rolled out of bed and poured in 30 points without thinking twice, aiding by a 3-point stroke that the Greek Freak has yet to obtain. If Antetokounmpo does develop a consistent long-range shot over the coming years, though, the pendulum almost has to swing his way, right? A 7-footer shouldn’t be able to do the things he can, making him even more of a matchup nightmare than Prime T-Mac. (Sorry, Orlando fans, but let’s be honest: You hate me anyway for mercilessly mocking every move you’ve made these past few years.)
Cianfrone: I love Antetokounmpo with all my heart. There are only like five guys I would take over him purely based on irrationality.
McGee: Between his own injuries and the injured Rockets teams he went on to be a part of, it’s possible we never even really saw what prime T-Mac could be. At the very least, we may only have gotten a relatively brief glimpse of it. Still, McGrady’s numbers towards the end of his time in Orlando were very special. I don’t believe Giannis will ever score like him, but at full potential the Greek Freak could be a walking triple-double also capable of close to three blocks and three steals per game. He’s only turning 22 next week and that’s already not too far off his averages. With the tantalizing prospect of Giannis’ prime still being a ceiling-less mystery, I’m going to go with the Greek.
If you could buy Giannis a smoothie, what flavor would it be?
Jefferson: Strawberry banana. Got to stick with the classics.
Masterson: Berry. Dude had it six times before even bothering to try anything else. Gotta give the people what they want.
Rutkowski: Vodka and hate. Giannis is too happy all the time. Too likable. Too marketable. Michael Jordan proved that demand and anger is the best way to become a better player, and as we all know there are no good players in the NBA any more. Not since Laimbeer.
Rossman-Reich: I would probably ask him for a smoothie suggestion. Rack up another assist.
Toporek: Peanut butter and chocolate. Because really, when have those two things not gone together well?
Cianfrone: I love the Peach Slice Plus from Smoothie King. So I’ll roll with that.
McGee: I’m with Rory on this one. Giannis was hooked on smoothies from the moment he tasted some variation of berry. It’s the classic for him and it’s my own preference too. I’d happily spend some quality time talking with Giannis over two berry smoothies.
How many playoff games does Giannis win this season?
Jefferson: None. Milwaukee will once again be on the outside looking in when the postseason tips off. The Bucks are currently .500 through 16 games, but have played one of the easiest schedules in the first quarter of the NBA season. The remaining three-fourths of the year won’t be so kind to this team. Giannis has taken another leap this year, and that alone might be more important to the Bucks franchise than getting a single win in an opening round series they’re destined to lose.
Masterson: None. In the season preview, I had the Bucks at 33 wins. Though I now think I was shortchanging them a bit, the point about Milwaukee having played one of the easiest early schedules in the league stands looming. They have a young core, but Khris Middleton is a huge part of that core, and even he likely wouldn’t have gotten them into the picture. Wait ’til next year, Greek Freak.
Rutkowski: One. But it will be the playoff for my heart. Currently scheduled for May 16, 2017 in the middle of Lake Michigan. Tickets can be preordered on SeatGeek. Use promo code “Gyrostep” for 20% off. 18+ only. There will be blood.
Rossman-Reich: I am still not 100 percent sure the Milwaukee Bucks make the playoffs. But they have exceeded my expectations. With Jabari Parker continuing to emerge and Giannis Antetokounmpo doing his thing, I will give them two games. Remember, this will not be their first rodeo in the Playoffs. They will be a tough out.
Toporek: Zero. Zip. Nada. Barring a surprising earlier-than-expected return from Khris Middleton or a Greg Monroe-for-Stephen Curry trade, the Bucks don’t have the firepower to keep up with the Joneses in the East, especially once their schedule takes a turn for the worst. The pairing of Greek Freak and Middleton still gives Milwaukee one of the most terrifying young tandems in the league, but they’ve been a run-of-the-mill squad against the league’s ninth-easiest schedule to date. As Chicago Cubs fans grew accustomed to saying prior to 2016: There’s always next year, Milwaukee.
Cianfrone: All of them. Literally every single one. Even the one the Bucks don’t play in. (But seriously two. I think the Bucks are probably one of the eight best teams in the Eastern Conference, especially at their best. And I think he is good enough to win a game by himself. And also as a fan I really want to believe that two can happen.)
McGee: I run a Bucks site and literally write about this team every day of the year, but I still feel I’d be unrealistically optimistic if I said more than one. Making the playoffs isn’t even close to a given. Trust me, the Bucks find incredible ways to lose games they should be winning. It’s not impossible that they somehow sneak in, but if they do it’s likely only to set up a match with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Can the Bucks cause the Cavs problems? Sure. Would that series look any different to Cavs/Pistons last year? Probably not.