Milwaukee Bucks: Analyzing the Giannis Antetokounmpo/Serge Ibaka Matchup

Offense

Giannis has played very well against Toronto this year. The 22-year-old has shot at a very high percentage, and he has been an effective and reliable scorer.

While the jump shot remains a real challenge for Antetokounmpo, the young Greek bulked up last summer and has reaped the rewards of a stronger frame accompanying his incredible athleticism.

Giannis finds paths to the rim with relative ease, and has a full repertoire of dunks, layups and passes to ensure the high quality opportunities he creates result in high percentage looks for him or his teammates.

Since joining the Raptors, Ibaka has brought to Toronto the kind of diverse offensive output that has helped his teams to be some of the best in the league in recent years.

Ibaka possesses the combination of size and mobility which allows him play at either the power forward or center position, but unlike many of his peers, he also boasts the necessary skill-set.

Ibaka has good touch around the basket and shouldn’t have significant problems in scoring around the rim if that’s what the series dictates, but he’s even more comfortable when he’s allowed to step out to mid-range or beyond.

The 27-year-old’s jump-shooting prowess frequently causes opposing teams problems, and it’s something the Bucks will have to be very mindful of after he finished the season averaging 39.1 percent overall.

Ibaka’s ability to consistently knock down the outside shot could put a lot of pressure on Giannis to choose between staying home on his man and providing the kind of rim protection the Bucks desperately need.

There’s no doubt that Giannis is the much more dynamic offensive threat of the two, but Ibaka certainly isn’t a one-trick pony either.