Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future at point guard begins Tuesday vs. Cavaliers

It’s very fitting that the man NBA fans call the Greek Freak will more than likely be the first 6’11” player to start at point guard in the Association.

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Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd confirmed Monday afternoon that the uniquely talented Giannis Antetokounmpo will be his starting floor general when the Bucks take on the Cavaliers in Cleveland Tuesday night.

“I think a coach has to listen to his players,” said Kidd after Monday’s team practice. “Without them even being verbal, they will tell you in their actions what they feel comfortable with. Some of the plays that he made in the Chicago game but also in practice, he’s trying to find guys.

“He’s trying to do the right thing.”

Antetokounmpo was thrown into the fire at point guard in the 4th quarter on Saturday after Brandon Knight strained his groin late in the 3rd quarter.

On Tuesday he begins a new journey down a unique path no other NBA player besides Magic Johnson has been down.

He’s out to prove that he is more than a point-forward.

And that his legacy as a one of kind player begins it’s transformation into the one player the Milwaukee Bucks cannot survive without.

The more you watch the Greak Freak’s game develop, the more you can believe that he can run an offense full-time someday.

Especially for a team that lacked offensive creativity a year ago. There is no hiding the fact that Kidd will look heavily upon Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker for scoring this season.

So why not put the ball in the hands of your most athletic player right away?

“I think a coach has to listen to his players. “Without them even being verbal, they will tell you in their actions what they feel comfortable with. Some of the plays that he made in the Chicago game but also in practice, he’s trying to find guys. He’s trying to do the right thing.” — Head Coach Jason Kidd

It’s not like Mr. Alphabet hasn’t ran and offense before.

He entered the 2013 draft as a point guard. Slowly he’s also received a pair of spare keys to the offense from Jason Kidd. During Summer League play, the coaching staff wanted to see what he could do with the ball in his hand. As SB Nation’s Eric Buenning pointed out in July — the Bucks started figuring out that the more their young star had the ball in his hands, the more productive the offense was.

"When Giannis is able to generate a bit of space in the paint, he can extend those elastic limbs of his and cover tons of ground in a matter of seconds. This can force the defense to react quicker than they’d like, leading to a kickout pass or foul.Consider: Last season, Giannis had a free-throw rate of .483, the equivalent of shooting one free throw per two field goal attempts. Despite the small sample size (15-percent usage rate), that number was nearly on par with Kevin Durant, the most prolific free-throw shooter in the league. Having the ball more should work to his advantage.Being 6’11 with a 7’3 wingspan also helps his passing ability because he has almost a half-foot advantage on any guard matched up against him. Even if they’re quick and can keep up with him, Giannis will still have the opportunity to just go right over them for a shot attempt or a pass."

Buenning also noted that with the position change in Summer League, Antetokounmpo had more space on the floor to work with.

"Last year, Giannis would camp in the corner and catch hand-offs, whether going back toward the top of the key or reversing his path and head back toward the baseline. It was already difficult enough for Giannis to attack the defense, and taking away driving angles didn’t help matters much.Now, Giannis is starting his action from the top of the key, giving him more space. He’s able to take more aggressive angles and the defense is forced to be crisp on their rotations rather than relying on court dynamics to help out. Even when the defense is set — like Austin Daye was several times during Wednesday’s game — Giannis was able to keep Daye guessing by approaching a move quickly with his length."

Not only will it be fun to watch his progression at the position, but Bucks fans will be watching history as Jason Kidd and company continue to stir the pot of NBA oddities.

Never before has this league seen a regular starter at point guard stand 6’11” tall.

Then again, never before has this league seen a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo.