Mar 17, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives in against New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik (3) during the fourth quarter of game at the Smoothie King Center.The Pelicans defeated the Bucks 85-84. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Overview
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a quality sophomore season that was really more about seeing the signs of him develop into a great player than the Greek Freak already playing like a star. This is something Bucks fans need to keep in mind, like, always. Giannis is 20 years old. He’s a work in progress. It just so happens that work is going a lot faster than anyone anticipated.
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Although much was made of Antetokounmpo’s inability to shoot threes this year (which was bizarre, considering his solid 34.7 percent from long-range in his rookie season) Giannis did manage to improve virtually every aspect of his game, as seen here in his per 100 possessions stats.
| Season | Age | G | GS | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS | ORtg | DRtg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 19 | 77 | 23 | 1897 | 11.5 | .414 | 3.3 | .347 | 5.6 | .683 | 9.3 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 14.5 | 99 | 110 |
| 2014-15 | 20 | 81 | 71 | 2541 | 15.7 | .491 | 0.9 | .159 | 7.0 | .741 | 10.9 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 20.7 | 105 | 101 |
| Career | 158 | 94 | 4438 | 13.9 | .464 | 1.9 | .296 | 6.4 | .719 | 10.2 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 18.1 | 102 | 105 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/14/2015.
Yes, the drop-off in both Antetokounmpo’s three-point attempts and three-point percentage was significant compared to last season. There is a bit of encouragement in the fact that there was a drop to be made, though. That means that Giannis is capable of getting back up to the mid-thirties in three-point percentage, because he’s done it before. Imagine how much better the Greek Freak’s field goal percentage and points per 100 possessions would be if his threes started falling again!
The rest of those numbers largely speak for themselves, but I would like to point out big jumps in both offensive and defensive rating. Those stats equate to the number of points per 100 possessions a player would either score or give up, which means Giannis notably improved on both ends of the floor. That kind of two-way playmaking ability coupled with Giannis’ extreme athleticism is what excites so many, including Grantland’s Bill Simmons.
"With Giannis, it’s a little more under-the-radar — like it was with T-Mac in Year 2. He’s like a Durant/T-Mac scoring fetus. I can see it. How he bounces off people in traffic, how he gets his shot off from crazy angles, how he explodes to the rim, how he gets good shots off even when his opponent is playing perfect defense. I’m telling you, real stuff is happening here — glimpses, pieces, flashes, but real stuff. In his second year, Giannis isn’t even scoring 13 points a game. I bet that doubles within three years. I know they don’t sell Bucks stock, but buy it anyway."
26 points a game within three years? A combination of Kevin Durant and Tracy McGrady?!? Simmons is clearly very high on Giannis, and I am too. Let’s get into his strengths, of which there are quite a few.
Next: Strengths