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NBA Power Rankings: All 30 Starting Shooting Guards

By Shane Young

January 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Heat won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
January 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Heat won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Power Rankings
Mar 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 115-110. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

 28.  Giannis Antetokounmpo — Milwaukee Bucks

If you had to choose one unbelievably athletic player in the league that’s still growing, the 19-year-old “Greek Freak” better be your selection.  You know how kids coming out of college these days are 19 years old during their rookie season and eventually turn 20?

Well, Antetokounmpo will still be 19 when he begins his sophomore season, which is remarkable in it’s own.  It’s even more astonishing that he’s not finished developing his body, since he grew one inch from the start of the 2013-14 season to the end.  By the time he’s reached his third year, who’s ruling out that he’ll be close, or right at, 7-foot?

He plays shooting guard majority of the time because the speed is off the charts and he can shoot from the outside, although there are some issues to look at.  Last season, Antetokounmpo shot just 29.1 percent from catch-and-shoot opportunities, including 30.2 percent off the catch from 3-pointers, which was third-worst on Milwaukee’s roster.

Getting out on the break is something Antetokounmpo thrived on during his rookie year, as teammates would encourage him to go coast-to-coast after grabbing freakish rebounds.  His ball-handling is the most overlooked factor, as he reminds you exactly of Kevin Durant when he’s pushing the pace and using his long strides to get where he wants to go.

Freaks do what they want, and nothing else matters.

Durant even senses some competition when Antetokounmpo is pursuing him on defense, as making things difficult for the MVP is something the kid proved he could do.  The chase-down rejection in transition is one of his favorites, and the fact that he takes pride in defense is exactly why he’ll be seeing more love than overpaid O.J. Mayo this coming year.

The Freak is a small forward build, but is a two-guard at heart.  Amounts in which he grows, though, could make him a matchup problem for any position on the floor by the time he’s 23 or 24 years old.

There’s also not a nicer young talent in the game today, as his voice and personality actually reflects a teenager that was brought up in a polite, hard-working culture.  The NBA is lucky to have him, he just has to fight through the lack of experience and keep finding ways to score.