Cookin' With DeVaughn Townes

The Evolution of Giannis Antetokounmpo 

With the 15th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks selected 18-year old Giannis Antetokounmpo by way of Filathlitikos in Greece. He was considered a raw, long-rangy athlete with oodles of potential at 6'10 with a 7'3 wingspan. He was still new to the game of basketball because he started in 2007 and entered the professional ranks in 2009. Antetokounmpo was labeled “The Greek Freak” because of his fluidity and athleticism for his size, but mainly due to the fact that people could not say his name. One could offer someone a briefcase of cash for if they said his name right and they would still get it wrong. When his name was announced, the crowd seemed a bit stunned. Some were probably looking around saying "WHO" while others proceeded to boo. However, the Bucks selection was looked at as a safe pick around the league. They were coming off a solid season in which they made the playoffs led by scorers Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, and J.J. Redick. Many thought Antetokounmpo would be someone left overseas to develop and come back to the league to be a star. He was compared to Nicolas Batum and some thought he had the upside of Kevin Durant.

The Greek Freak saw consistent playing time from the beginning of his rookie season and saw his minutes pick up as the season moved forward. He played in 77 games with 23 starts averaging 6.8 points, 4.4 boards, 1.9 assists, and .8 blocks and steals per game. The flashes of brilliance were there as he showed off his defensive prowess, ability to attack the basket, handle the rock, and even showed good form on his shot beyond the arc. Antetokounmpo was Milwaukee's diamond during a rough year and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The team only won 15 games and lacked a franchise player with players like Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton, and Ersan Ilyasova on the roster. Following the season, the Bucks were heading in a new direction with the arrival of Jason Kidd as their new head coach. They drafted Jabari Parker with the second pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Duke. Milwaukee's front office hoped that Giannis and Parker could become a dynamic duo and make teams "Fear the Deer" in the coming years.

Parker, Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Brandon Knight led a resurgent Bucks team with solid play well through early January of 2015. That month Parker tore his ACL and would be forced to miss the season. At the time, many believed the Bucks would fall out of playoff contention. On the contrary, The Greek Freak upped his production all the way across the board statistically. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1 block, and .9 steals a night. He took a step back in shooting beyond the arc as he went from shooting 34 percent his rookie year to an abysmal 15 percent. Teams dared him to take more jumpers and with each miss it shattered his confidence. However, Giannis looked confident on the court as we saw more ferocious dunks with velocity. He put on more bulk, which allowed him to bully players in the paint. His dribble looked as fluid as a professional yo-yoer looked with a yo-yo as he had the ball on a string seemingly. Antetokounmpo even developed some swag as he would mean mug and talk trash to a few players. Kidd even allowed him to be more innovative and create for players around him. Antetokounmpo helped lead the Bucks back into the playoffs as a sixth seed with a 41-41 record. He averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in the playoffs as he struggled with his shooting against All-Star Jimmy Butler. Butler would often step back a few feet and dare Antetokounmpo to shoot. Antetokounmpo would hesitate to shoot the shot or pass to a teammate and it hurt the Bucks offense. He made up for it in other ways as he would go coast to coast after a rebound, block shots emphatically, and have the occasional hustle play. He epitomized the team's toughness and was the reason why the Bulls were pushed to six games. In fact, many expected the Bucks to get swept. 

The 2015-2016 season for Milwaukee went as bad as a Thanksgiving without macaroni and cheese made from scratch. They were coming off a great year and had just signed double double machine Greg Monroe. People had them scripted as a top four seed in the East and possibly facing Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. Heck, they threw out their old green and red uniforms for these new gold and green ones. Instead, this team flopped harder than a soccer player. They finished 33-49 with many questions about their lineups. The constants were Antetokounmpo, Parker, and Middleton as Michael Carter-Williams, John Henson, and Monroe did not play up to their potential. One of the problems the Bucks had during the end of the 2014-2015 season was that they traded Knight for Carter-Williams. Giannis is a player that is reliant upon having the ball in his hands. Actually, the Bucks are reliant upon Giannis having the ball. If he does not have the ball, this team is not as good with him off the ball. In a way, the injury MCW suffered helped shape the future for The Greek Freak. He averaged 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals. He was a monster and a fantasy nightmare post All-Star Break.

Antetokounmpo has the makeup of a star. He can do just about anything on the court except shoot and that should improve with time, as he is only 21. The Greek Freak is really charismatic and always has a big smile on his face off the court. He likes to make jokes too like he did on media day. Yes, they are a bit forced, but he gets an A for effort. He is a great locker room guy and very team-oriented. The scary thing about him as that he is not even at the apex of his career. Kidd said that he wants to play Antetokounmpo more at point guard because of his anticipation and size as a passer. I think it could bode well for the Bucks with the right personnel on the court. Kidd has to find a way to play him with shooters like Jason Terry, Matthew Dellavedova, and Mirza Teletovic. The loss of Middleton at the beginning of the year hurts Giannis as it could shrink the floor. If Antetokounmpo wants to cement himself as a star, he will find a way to lead his team to the playoffs anyway. The Bucks organization believes in this guy as they signed him to a four-year contract worth 100 million. Antetokounmpo is a guy that wants to be a player that can make a difference in Milwaukee on the court. He once said, "I want to keep playing for the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 20 years!" That is the type of attitude and energy they need to turn around their misfortunes.

Antetokounmpo is starting to realize his potential and the effect he has on the game of basketball. He carries the torch for Greece as well as Nigerians. Being as good as he is, this gives the NBA another gateway to push their brand internationally. One of the things that helped him realize how great he could be is when his childhood idol, Kobe Bryant, labeled him "the next big thing" in the NBA. The Black Mamba does not just throw around that phrase nonchalantly. He calculates his statements and this is one that adds up. Antetokounmpo did not even think Kobe knew his name. It was not until a few months later he revealed what Kobe said to him after his final game in Milwaukee. Bryant gave Antetokounmpo a hug and patted him on his chest. That same chest pat that probably feels like a Ric Flair chop because he does it so hard. He leaned in to tell The Greek Freak how he used to work for eight hours a day and would get up over a thousand shots per day. Kobe went on to tell Giannis that he needs to work hard during the summer and exhaust himself in a way that will make the regular season easier. Antetokounmpo reflected saying, "You could feel that it wasn't him saying bulls**t just to impress you."

Looking back at the 2013 NBA Draft Class, Antetokounmpo could very easily go number one in a redraft. He has shown the ability and consistency of a player that is the focal point of his team's offense. Antetokounmpo is a game changer on both ends of the court. In addition, he is still very young and has the opportunity to become a perennial All-Star and a top 15 player in the association. He has to put the work in to improve his game and continue to add bulk to his frame. Antetokounmpo has the vote of confidence from Kidd and his teammates. The only thing stopping Giannis is Giannis. Many people do not know about Antetokounmpo because of the Bucks lack of success and playing in a small market.  Having a player like Antetokounmpo is something Milwaukee deserves as most stars ignore them like players did before the Lebron James era. They have not had a player with star potential since the heyday of Michael Redd or even Ray Allen. Antetokounmpo can turn that around with continuous growth and success in the league. It is a matter of time before people wake up and smell the bacon.