Milwaukee Bucks: What’s Next for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The Milwaukee Bucks have one of the most impressive starting lineups in the NBA. Much of it is based in upside, but the fact remains that Milwaukee has stocked up on special talents with its best years ahead of them.
No player better embodies the upside than Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo entered the 2013 NBA Draft as one of the most enigmatic prospects in league history. The physical gifts were clear for anyone to see, and the skills were impressive enough to warrant some measure of hype.
It simply couldn’t be understated how lackluster the level of competition Antetokounmpo was performing against truly was.
Since becoming an official member of the NBA, however, The Greek Freak has done nothing but elevate expectations. His defensive versatility, ball-handling, court vision and slashing ability have all garnered rave reviews.
Generally speaking, there isn’t much that the 20-year-old can’t do. The next step is doing it at an even higher level.
The question is, what exactly does Milwaukee need him to improve upon in 2015-16?
Improved Jump Shooting
The Milwaukee Bucks’ starting lineup is as imbalanced as it is balanced. The defensive chemistry and offensive complements are very intriguing, but there’s one harsh reality: they both can and cannot shoot.
Two of the players, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker, can score from absolutely anywhere on the floor. The other three—Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe—couldn’t shoot if you paid them to.
That could pose problems if Antetokounmpo doesn’t get his jumper on track.
Through two seasons, Carter-Williams is shooting 25.2 percent from 3-point range on an average of 2.7 attempts per game. Per Basketball-Reference.com, Monroe converted 49 of 201 jump shots in 2014-15—good for 24.4 percent.
Thus, it’s on Antetokounmpo, the wing, to help balance out the starting lineup by becoming a more serviceable jump shooter.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Antetokounmpo shot 32.0 percent on 387 total jump shots in 2014-15. That includes his dismal 15.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
That needs to change.
What’s most confusing about this development is that Antetokounmpo actually regressed from his rookie season. He hit 41 of his 118 3-point field goal attempts in 2013-14—34.7 percent—but only went 7-of-44 in 2014-15.
Fortunately, Antetokounmpo improved his field goal percentage by 7.7 percent and his free throw percentage by 5.8 percent. In other words, he’s becoming a better and more efficient scorer.
In order for the Bucks to truly turn a corner, however, Antetokounmpo must become more consistent with his jumper.
Lockdown Defense
If there’s one thing that makes Giannis Antetokounmpo special, it’s his combination of size and fluidity. He moves as well as you could ask a wing to move, and stands at nearly 6’11″—gigantic for a perimeter player.
In turn, the rational expectation is that he’ll soon be one of the NBA’s most dynamic defensive weapons.
Antetokounmpo is already a solid defensive player whose length and agility make life difficult for any and every defensive assignment. He’s capable of defending slashers and shooters, and also has the ability to drop down low for overwhelming help defense.
Exhibit A of his defensive versatility:
With the further development of his fundamentals, Antetokounmpo could become the single most dangerous defensive matchup in the NBA.
I prefer not to speak in hyperbole, but Antetokounmpo’s size and athleticism are close to unparalleled. Kevin Durant and Paul George may be the closest comparisons, and both are elite, All-NBA small forwards.
At 20 years old, Antetokounmpo has plenty of time to develop into the same.
Much like George, Antetokounmpo knows how to use his body to make plays on defense. The next step is to be like George in the sense that Antetokounmpo has the tools to lock players down from start-to-finish.
In 2015-16, Milwaukee will need to see that with more consistency.
Facilitator
Michael Carter-Williams has his critics, but he’s undeniably gifted as a facilitator. He sees the floor well, has great size for the point guard position and excels in running the pick-and-roll.
On a team with as many capable scorers as Milwaukee has—Khris Middleton, Greg Monroe and Jabari Parker—there needs to be an inherent selflessness for success to be achieved.
Antetokounmpo can handle the ball and make plays in transition, but his half court offense is more of a question mark. He’s far from a lost cause in that regard, but he does tend to be a more consistent playmaker in the open court.
http://hoopshabit.com/2015/09/03/nba-top-10-candidates-to-be-first-time-all-stars-in-2016/
In 2015-16, the Bucks will look for Antetokoummpo to take the next step in his development as a—well, whichever position you’d like to categorize him as.
It’s been said that Antetokounmpo can play some point guard, but that’s more hype than fact—for now. He has the gifts, but The Greek Freak needs to polish them under all-time great point guard and current Bucks head coach Jason Kidd.
If Antetokounmpo is able to improve his consistency as a defender, facilitator and shooter, the Bucks will not only win more games, but he’ll take a significant step towards genuine NBA stardom. At that point, he’d be the complete package.
While Milwaukee fans may have reason to be excited, a message must be sent to the rest of the NBA: beware of Antetokounmpo and the Bucks..
Next: Which Milwaukee Bucks player has the best shot at becoming a first-time All-Star in 2016?
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