How Special Can Antetokounmpo Be For Milwaukee Bucks?

I will admit that going into this season I didn’t expect to be watching the Milwaukee Bucks all too much on NBA League Pass.

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I thought maybe I would turn in a few nights to kind of check up on lottery pick Jabari Parker because I wanted to see if he would really end up being better this season than fellow rookie Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Other than that there wasn’t really anything else I wanted to see from a young team trying to learn a new coach’s system.

Boy was I wrong, as forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is growing into a star faster than a lot of people may have expected.

The 6-foot-11 point forward from Greece has really been a positive for the surprising Bucks this season, who are currently in the playoff picture after having selected second overall in the 2014 NBA draft.

There are a few reasons for the turnaround besides the play of the “Greek Freak,” like the improvement of point guard Brandon Knight and the defensive system that head coach Jason Kidd has put into place, but it’s Antetokounmpo that seems to make that one play that steals the show night after night.

This may very well be because there just aren’t players of his size that can do what he does outside of Kevin Durant. This isn’t to say that Antetokounmpo is on Durant’s level, but they are both virtually the same size and are more perimeter-oriented players rather than staying down low where their size suggests they should be.

Antetokounmpo’s ball-handling ability is a real problem for opposing teams because he can become a second point guard in the starting lineup. Oh, and he’s 6-foot-11, we can’t forget about that.

A 6-foot-11 point guard are you kidding me? Yes, Antetokounmpo has all of those skills. He’s a selfless player at heart who loves to act as a playmaker on offense rather than putting in 20 points a game and taking 25 shots each night.

Antetokounmpo understands that he is gifted in that way and takes advantage of it more often than not. A lot of times when he is able to get a defensive rebound, you’ll see him dribble the ball down the court and make the right pass in transition to a teammate for an easy lay-up or dunk, which leads to a lot of questions like, “Did I just see what I think I saw?”

Antetokounmpo has that kind of wow factor to him, and that has to count for something considering he plays in Milwaukee. There hasn’t really been a lot of exciting anything for the Bucks in quite some time, but Antetokounmpo is a game-changer.

Passing isn’t the only thing Antetokounmpo can do on offense, however. He’s been gradually improving on his outside shooting stroke, and he’s always been able to finish at the rim because of his superior size and length.

The highlight plays never stop coming for this kid. It’s not that he tries to go for the most spectacular dunk each night, it usually just ends up happening and looking like that because he is so talented.

Defensively, I’m not sure there is as unique of a player as Antetokounmpo in the league right now. He has all of the physical tools along with the defensive awareness to guard all five positions on the floor. No, I’m not exaggerating when I say that, either.

There really isn’t anything Antetokounmpo can’t do defensively. Locking down his man one-on-one, sliding into the lane and helping his teammates, playing passing lanes and getting steals, and even skying up and getting some ridiculous blocked shots, Antetokounmpo can do it all and then some.

Players that can actually guard all five positions on the floor are extremely rare. In fact, there may not have been another player in league history that has been able to do that.

The player closest to doing so in my opinion was Magic Johnson back when he played with the Los Angeles Lakers because there were times when he would step in and play center for the team on short notice, but he didn’t possess the same kind of length that Antetokounmpo does.

Antetokounmpo is no joke as a basketball player. His two-way potential is downright scary, as the league may not be ready for a player like him if he makes improvements to his jump shot and actually develops some game in the post. He has all of the tools on defense and is already one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA, and he’s only going to get better.

Antetokounmpo will keep improving, meaning that he’s not going away anytime soon. Be afraid NBA, be very afraid.

Next: Can the Bucks Sustain Their Early Success?

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How Special Can Giannis Antetokounmpo Be For the Milwaukee Bucks?

By Nathan Grubel | Feb 18, 2015

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