Players, not teams, will define NBA of the 2020s
By Alec Liebsch
Player of the 2020s: Giannis Antentokoumnpo
There are a lot of funky options to put here, but Giannis Antentokoumnpo is the most likely candidate to define the decade. Having just turned 25 in December, the next 10 years will bookend the Greek Freak’s prime.
The Bucks have also set him up in the best possible way to succeed, surrounding him with shooters and playmakers. Last season, a lineup of Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Ersan Ilyasova Brook Lopez and Antentokoumnpo won 66 games and had the best point differential in the NBA.
No one other than Giannis jumps off the page from that lineup, yet his rising tide was so strong that it lifted everyone’s boats en route to an MVP season.
The sequel has been just as good. Milwaukee is currently on pace for about 70 wins, own the best defensive and net ratings and Antentokoumnpo rolls out of bed with 30 and 10 every night.
Whether he stays in Milwaukee past 2021 has become a hot topic in the era of player movement. It seems to just be speculation to push the league’s biggest star to a big market, but that’s the way of things in the NBA.
Wherever the Greek Freak goes, he will dominate. If he stays, Milwaukee knows exactly how to utilize him. If he bolts, teams now see the blueprint necessary to make it happen. Giannis is nearly the best player in the league already, and if he keeps getting better, it’s hard to see anyone impacting the game as much as him.