NBA: The Six Biggest Surprises From The First Half Of The 2016-17 Season

The Rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo

In case you haven’t noticed, or have been living under a rock, Giannis Antetokounmpo has arrived.

Giannis has taken the league, and its fans, by storm. Don’t believe me, check out the NBA All-Star voting. He ranks second in the Eastern Conference in votes behind just LeBron James.

If that doesn’t add up, just go watch some of his highlights and you’ll immediately understand why he’s so popular. This season, Giannis is averaging a career-high 23 points, six assets and nearly nine rebounds. He’s also shooting the rock at a 54 percent clip from the field. His two blocks and steals per game aren’t too shabby either, which are both good enough for individual career-highs.

Perhaps the scariest part of Giannis is the fact that he’s a 6-foot-11 point guard. Yes, that’s right, Jason Kidd has made him a “point guard” and he’s starting to dominate the NBA.

He’s the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Additionally, on November 30, Giannis became the only player in the east 30 seasons under the age of 22 to record 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a game. No other player has done that since a guy named LeBron James.

Giannis’ PER ranks third in the NBA (28.34), only behind Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Good company. Despite the loss of Khris Middleton, the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t missed much of a beat. And a big part of that is because of the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.