The 2022 FIBA Eurobasket league has finished qualifying and several Milwaukee Bucks players have taken part. Two Antetokounmpo brothers from the Milwaukee Bucks are playing with the Greek national team and Sandro Mamukelashvili played with Georgia. How have the three Bucks fared in the qualifying round?
Thanasis Antetokounmpo only played 12.5 minutes per game for Greece in their five qualifying games and has been relatively quiet outside a few highlight plays. That said, Sandro Mamukelashvili despite Georgia going 1-4 and missing the cut for the round of 16 which begins this weekend, played some fantastic basketball and has surely put not only those watching Eurobasket on notice, but also potentially giving the Milwaukee Bucks some things to think about just with his summer league performance. Mamukelashvili continues to dazzle on the court.
In five games Sandro averaged 15.2 points per game, good for 16th among Eurobasket players, 11 rebounds per game, good enough for third among all players and 2.4 assists. Mamukelashvili put up some great numbers that should for sure intrigue fans and the Milwaukee Bucks front office alike. In Georgia’s first game against Belgium, Mamu scored 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished two assists and blocked two shots, imagine if Mamu could continue his growth and bring that type of production to the Bucks. It would certainly make the inevitable retirement or departure of Brook Lopez easier to bear.
In Georgia’s second game against Spain, the winner of Group A, Mamu had a slower game, 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Then against Turkey Sandro went off again for 20 points, 12 rebounds and two steals, this was Georgia’s lone win in the group stage. Against Bulgaria Mamu’s scoring was a bit lower but still helped his team with 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Versus Montenegro Mamu put up another double double to close out the group phase with 15 points and 10 rebounds. All in all, Sandro Mamukelashvili played very well for Georgia in the Eurobasket group phase despite Georgia not qualifying to advance and Mamu has certainly given the Milwaukee Bucks a lot to think about when it comes to roster construction.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, recently named the NBA’s best player in an ESPN survey, has been the talk of the Eurobasket tournament thus far. Giannis has provided a pretty long compilation of highlight reel plays for Milwaukee Bucks fans to binge on while we wait for the regular season to return and we see Giannis back in green, cream and blue (and purple this year).
Yesterday against Estonia Giannis put up 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists, a solid game, he only played the first half! The highlights from this game are stupendous, including the number one play on the top 10 plays from Eurobasket yesterday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did have some fans concerned that he was hurt when he didn’t return for the second half of yesterday’s matchup with Estonia and was seen with his legs wrapped in ice. Greece’s head coach reassured fans and the media that Giannis ices his body after every game but it usually isn’t visible for everyone to see because it usually takes place in the locker room after games. However, with Giannis not playing in the second half he began his postgame routine in plain view, there is no long term injury concern for Giannis.
While on the subject of Giannis and injuries, there are fans and a few media members who expressed concern with Giannis playing in the Eurobasket competition. Some calling it “meaningless” or “not in his contract”. The fact of the matter is, Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to play basketball somewhere during the offseason, players don’t sit at home in bubble wrap waiting for the next season to begin. Just because the basketball he’s playing is being televised doesn’t mean he is at any more risk for injury than he would be if he were playing basketball behind closed doors in the United States.
Giannis played four of the five group stage games for Greece, who finished 5-0 in group play, in those four games Giannis averaged 29.5 points per game, number one in the Eurobasket qualifying, 9.0 rebounds which was tied for fifth most in the group stage. In addition Giannis also averaged 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals.
In Greece’s first game against Croatia Giannis Antetokounmpo played late game hero, as he has many times in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform, this time for Greece he finished a reverse alley-oop dunk, blocked a 3-point attempt in which he went from under the basket to blocking the 3-pointer in just 1.1 seconds and following the block finished an and-one in transition. Giannis finished the game with 27 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, major Giannis feels from that statline.
In Greece’s second game against Italy, Giannis put up 25 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Giannis sat out Greece’s matchup with Great Britain, who finished the group phase winless. Giannis returned for the fourth game for Greece and put up his highest point total of the group phase, 41 points, Giannis also added nine rebounds. The final game was the Estonia matchup mentioned on the previous slide where Giannis put up the monstrous first half and sat out the second half.
What is perhaps most impressive about Giannis at Eurobasket is his efficiency. Giannis ranked first in efficiency per game in Eurobasket and Greece had a point differential of +11.3 with Giannis on the floor. The other statistic that should leap off the page for Milwaukee Bucks fans is the fact that during these four games, Giannis made 84.4 percent of his free throws. 9-of-11 against Croatia, 8-of-9 against Italy, 15-of-18 against Ukraine and 6-of-7 in the first half against Estonia.
Greece opens the round of 16 on Sunday against the Czech Republic.
Stay tuned for more updates on Giannis Antetokounmpo as Greece continues their Eurobasket journey.