Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming into his own, again

Not unlike his unstoppable one-man fast breaks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has arrived with alarming speed.

Year-to-year improvement of young players is natural and expected, but the leaps Antetokounmpo has made since he entered the league in 2014 are nearly unprecedented. He has made meaningful improvements to his scoring, rebounding, passing, defense, efficiency and usage every year so far. As was the case last season when he won the Most Improved Player Award, he has taken another substantial leap forward, this time into the MVP discussion.

Few players put pressure on the rim at both ends of the floor as often or as effectively as Antetokounmpo does. His explosiveness, fluidity and preposterous physical dimensions comprise a multifaceted two-way skill set few players or teams in the league are fully equipped to neutralize.

Everyone knows Antetokounmpo wants to get to the rim, yet no team has been able to prevent him from doing so. He’s taken just 26 shots outside the paint this year, per NBA Savant, and can get to the basket from virtually anywhere inside the arc. His drives don’t stop when he picks up his dribble, they extend as far as his arms and his strides can take him. His ability to explode off one foot allows him to sneak through windows to the basket most players wouldn’t consider.

As Antetokounmpo’s game has matured, so too has his body. Adding muscle to his long and wiry frame has allowed him to absorb and finish through contact more regularly. Last year, he started powering through defenders. This season, he’s straight up pushing aside anyone who impedes his path to the rim.

Rivals will rightfully quiver at the thought of Antetokounmpo with a consistent jump shot, but he has yet to weaponize his jumper in a way that instills fear. He was one of the worst 3-point shooters among non-big man rotation players last year, and he hasn’t shown much confidence in that shot this season.

Shooting improvements are made gradually, one step at a time. Antetokounmpo began firing 20-footers semi-regularly last season, and has since added post fadeaways to his arsenal. Given the frequency with which he goes to the line, he would benefit greatly from an improved free throw stroke as well. A more reliable 3-pointer is the obvious next step. Until then, there is only the allure of what a maximized Greek Freak might look like.

Even without a reliable jumper, Antetokounmpo can still dominate so long as he has shooting around him, and Milwaukee’s supporting cast fits perfectly with a Giannis-centric system in that respect. Since the start of last season, the Bucks’ current starters (not including Antetokounmpo) have canned a combined 40.2 percent of their triples. When defenses collapse to prevent Antetokounmpo’s charges to the rim, he’s a good enough passer to find those open teammates.

The challenges Antetokounmpo presents in the halfcourt, while troubling for opponents, pale in comparison to the threat he poses in the open court. He leaks out as soon as a defensive rebound is secured, his long legs blurring as he races past the defense. If the rebound comes to him, it’s a one-man fast break against backpedaling defenders.

This play highlights not just the power and speed with which Antetokounmpo torches defenses, but also the skill and control he possesses. He absorbs contact from Jayson Tatum, rises up and softly lofts the ball off the glass, all while moving at full speed.

Even when Antetokounmpo doesn’t have the ball, opponents must account for him as soon as a break begins. That creates opportunities for other Bucks to swoop in.

As traditional big men play fewer minutes and teams space the floor more effectively, reliable rim protection becomes more scarce. Supersized wings like LeBron James and Kevin Durant provide defensive value as both on-ball hounds and back-line defenders. Antetokounmpo falls into a similar category. Last year, opponents shot 50.7 percent on shots defended by Antetokounmpo within six feet of the rim; a rate nearly on par with Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert.

In turn, Kidd maximizes his value by slotting Khris Middleton or Tony Snell — two staunch perimeter defenders — on ball-dominant wings, leaving Antetokounmpo to roam as a free safety.

Antetokounmpo can still smother people with his length, but with so many other capable wing defenders on Milwaukee’s roster and few imposing defenders at the rim, he’s more useful as a new-age rim protector.

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The season is still young, and Antetokounmpo will likely regress from his current absurd per-game averages. But he will be the best player on the floor in 80 percent of the games he plays. Somewhere in the diluted East, there is a path to 50 wins for Milwaukee and an MVP claim for its leader. And when the Greek Freak is galloping at top speed, fully intent on reaching his destination, sometimes all anyone can do is stand in amazement.

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