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Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis has been impressive this season, but does it matter?

By Austin Payne

TORONTO, ONTARIO - MAY 19: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles during the first half against the Toronto Raptors in game three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Scotiabank Arena on May 19, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - MAY 19: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles during the first half against the Toronto Raptors in game three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Scotiabank Arena on May 19, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Giannis Antetokounmpo has been impressive this season for the Milwaukee Bucks, but does it matter?

Well, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been doing what he’s more than capable of this season. Most recently, he dropped 50 points, 14 rebounds and six rebounds on over 50 percent shooting on 31 shots against the Utah Jazz.

He did all of this while generating only nine of those points from behind the arc, which for him is impressive, considering he’s shooting 27 percent on 3-pointers this season per usual. He added in 13-19 free throws, meaning that 28 of his points came from the field itself, excluding 3’s, which is fairly impressive for a guy without a jumper.

The Greek Freak has shown us this ability to put up monstrous stat lines while also passing the ball like a point guard and making ridiculous blocks like a center throughout his very brief NBA career. Entering the NBA as a lanky, foreign, project pick up, he’s quickly become one of the most prolific and explosive athletes in the league, to the point where it is almost entirely unfair.

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The only thing keeping him in check is the fact that he’s a bit anemic when it comes to shooting the ball, which is kind of like, the entire basis of the sport. He’s very similar to Russell Westbrook in the sense that when you’ve witnessed both of these guys play, you quickly realize that even a decent jumper would probably make them capable of becoming one of if not the greatest we’ve ever seen.

One of the key components of all-time greats like Michael Jordan and LeBron James is their ability to shoot and hit bad shots. There are certain guys in the league who are great at this now, guys like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lou Williams, wait…all three of those guys are on the same team…watch the Clips.

Anyway, certain guys are just hoopers who you just know that when you need it, that guy can get us a bucket. Giannis and Westbrook do not have that. LeBron was far from known for that when he came into the league, but the ability to evolve his game and improve has turned him into one of the more efficient mid-range or fade away shooters in the game.

This possibility is not out of reach for a player like Giannis, though likely is for Westbrook, it remains unlikely. Some players’ body types and motion tendencies just lend themselves to not being a great shooter, and this can only be overcome to a certain extent, though I’m of course rooting for him and he’s one of the best players in the game despite his deficiencies.

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In light of all this, the question we’re left with here is does it matter? Will it affect his ability to become an all-time great or even a multiple-time champion? A lot of this depends on who he is playing with, and possibly where, because if the Freak’s game doesn’t change, maybe his location has to.

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