Giannis Antetokounmpo: Sizing up the Freak
Giannis Antetokounmpo, or widely known as the Greek Freak, became a household name mainly because of his unusual combination of size, length, athleticism, potential, exotic origin and a very long surname.
But the 20-year-old Milwaukee Buck is on a path to change that famous perception.
From a lanky 6’-11’’ prospect, he has now become a very good role player. With just one year under his belt, the 15th pick of the 2014 draft is now a solid starter, with good numbers that brought his name into consideration for the annual Most Improved Player of the Year award.
THE KIDD EFFECT
In 59 games this season, Antetokounmpo has shown great flashes of improvement. Starting from the rise of his nightly minutes, to the increase of efficiency in his offense, the former Greek amateur has stamped his way into becoming a fixture the Bucks’ rotation.
His improvement might have something to do with the arrival of former Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd, who had a good rookie coaching stint with the Nets last season. Under Kidd, Antetokounmpo saw a rise of numbers across his stat sheet, as seen in the table below.
| Year | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% | MPG |
| 2013-14 | 6.8 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 41.9% | 34.7% | 24.6 |
| 2014-15 | 11.9 | 6.6 | 2.5 | 49% | 15.6% | 30.0 |
Aside from the success rate from the arc, almost all of Giannis’ numbers have seen a good trend upward.
Some say the improvement is due to getting used to the pace and level of the NBA, though some say it is because Kidd found the right system to maximize what contribution a 20-year-old can give.
Even advanced stats dictate that the Greek Freak has produced more this season, and that he has helped the team succeed using Kidd’s system.
| PER | USG% | TRB% | AST% | TOV% | |
| 2013-14 | 10.8 | 15.0 | 10.2 | 12.1 | 19.4 |
| 2014-15 | 15.2 | 19.5 | 12.6 | 13.4 | 16.1 |
In just a season, Giannis has become an average league player in terms of Player Efficiency Rating. He has upped the possessions that he is involved in, while he brought down the numbers of turnovers he causes when on the court. He also has a net-rating of plus-4 this season, meaning that the wily Greek now helps the team more than he hurts them.
HOW HIGH OR HOW LOW?
Giannis is still just 20 years old, far from being truly developed and might even grow an inch or two over his next two or three birthdays. Heck, he does not even have a certified position.
During the first two years of his career, he has mainly played on the wing, because he is gifted with decent speed despite that lanky frame. This year, he starts games as a very, very tall off-guard before playing as either a wing or post forward later in games. He spends 51% of his time on the court as a power forward, and 22% of his time as a three guy.
Looking at his current skill set, Antetokounmpo is more suited in playing as a forward operating near the basket or just a few feet away from the rim. He knows he is not a three point threat with only five makes on 32 attempts this season, but he also knows that his best attacks come inside around three feet, where he makes 66% of his attempts.
If this trend of playing to his advantages continues, we might see Antetokounmpoput up very good numbers in his prime years. With his 6-11 height, and his ability to score from inside, he might put up around 24 points per game, along with eight to 10 rebounds. Giannis can put up almost 12 points and seven boards at 20, just imagine what he can put up when he gains more experience and become comfortable in the league.
On the other hand, if he chooses to be a guard and play more on the wing, he will have to face more difficult challenges.
From smaller defenders who can tap his dribble from below, to heady defenders who will dare him to shoot from distance, Giannis will probably find it harder to score as a perimeter player than one who roams near the basket. The only way he can overcome this hardship is if he finds Kevin Durant’s range, though that is far more unlikely than the other one.
With a better understanding of the game and with much more experience operating on both sides of the court, a brilliant future is waiting for the Greek Freak.
If everything goes right for this young Buck, we might see Milwaukee enjoy another era centered on a dominating figure, an era they have not tasted yet since a guy named Lew Alcindor left their arena.
Stats from basketball-reference.com
Photo by Yahoo!
