Milwaukee Bucks: Can Thanasis Antetokounmpo earn minutes with his defense?

Making his return to the NBA after signing a two-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason, Thanasis Antetokounmpo will look to make his mark on the squad and his work on the defensive end may be the pathway to do so.

In an offseason that was headlined by experienced additions made to load up for a run at next season’s title, coming after such a quick collapse in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the move to bring in Thanasis Antetokounmpo stood as something of an exception.

More than three years after having his first cup of coffee in the NBA, a two-game cameo with the New York Knicks during the 2015-16 season, the elder Antetokounmpo will make his return back to the NBA level after inking a two-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Bucks in early July.

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It’s no doubt a resounding achievement for the 27-year-old to work his way back to the highest league in all of the world after previously splitting time playing for Andorra in Spain and famed Greek club Panathinaikos over the last three years.

But the work is far from over as Antetokounmpo will have to prove his worth going against NBA-level competition on an extended basis, and his still-unrefined skill-set does loom over that discussion.

In order to do so, as well as to earn regular, albeit limited, rotation minutes within the Bucks’ bench mob, Antetokounmpo may have to hone in on the defensive end to make an impression on a squad that has clear title contending aspirations.

Antetokounmpo’s physical profile falls in line with a modern-day wing at 6’6″ as well as a seven-foot wingspan. Pairing that with his lightning quick speed and a near 40-inch vertical leap as measured at his appearance at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine, Antetokounmpo’s athleticism and physical makeup stand as some of the shinier facets in his game.

The key trait standing in Antetokounmpo’s arsenal is the motor he possesses, which informs the high drive and work ethic that he attacks the game with both on and off the court, just like his superstar brother.

Even when plays seem out of reach, Thanasis’ hustle and endless energy helps him make stunning plays that look beyond him at first glance. Take this recent highlight from Greece’s run in the Acropolis Tournament to show what Thanasis is capable of with this remarkable chasedown block in the fourth quarter of their win over Italy.

It’s certainly a little unrealistic for Antetokounmpo to supply highlights like this on a nightly basis, but what is more realistic is him stepping up as an energy guy off the bench who can contribute to the stifling defensive unit the Bucks fashioned off the bench over the course of last season.

The combination of Antetokounmpo’s athletic qualities, intangibles and great positional size can make a versatile defender that’s capable of taking on assignments both on the wing and even against bigger forwards at the 3-spot. Even with a loaded crop of wings and off-guards on the Bucks’ roster Antetokounmpo does still bring something to the table that they didn’t necessarily have previously.

There are still hurdles that Antetokounmpo has to clear to maintain a regular role in the Bucks’ rotation, with most of the concerns coming on the offensive end. Despite the encouraging improvements he’s shown shooting the ball from three, we obviously have a much bigger sample size of Antetokounmpo being an ineffective perimeter shooter in his previous time in the G League and most recently, overseas.

With that said, the Bucks won’t simply bury Antetokounmpo deep on the bench throughout the season and given the investment they made in signing him back in July, even at the league’s minimum, he’ll be given opportunities to play at the NBA level, which may rankle some of the skeptics.

Whether Antetokounmpo will be ready and answer the challenge when it comes next season remains to be seen, but his readjustment to the NBA will make for an interesting storyline in a season full of them for the Bucks as a whole.