NBA East player rankings, No. 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo
There’s been some slander thrown Giannis’s way this season. Fans and analysts have said he doesn’t want to go to the line in a tight game, he doesn’t want the ball in the fourth quarter, and that he doesn’t have a “bag” or a skill set other than being Tall, Long, and athletic.
Those people may be correct, but despite all his faults he’s still one of the best players in the NBA and is having a great season despite having a down year. Part of the problem is that Giannis had such an insane season last year that it’s hard to compare to it. Let’s recap, he wins his second MVP, wins defensive player of the year, all-star team captain, makes first team all NBA, and then leads the Milwaukee Bucks to the No. 1 seed going into the playoffs.
Here’s the case for Giannis for this season. He’s top five in the league in points per game (27.8), top seven in rebounds (11.4), top four in PER (player efficiency rating), and third in usage rate. Despite being limited in his offensive game, he still gets to his spots and shoots just over 55 percent from the field.
So those who say he’s not skilled or he doesn’t have an offensive game, still can’t stop him. Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic, three of the most skilled guys in the NBA right? Well, Giannis averages more points per game than all three of those guys, so don’t talk to me about Giannis not being “skilled.”
He affects the game on both ends of the floor and of course, there is room to improve. Giannis is still the man on the third seed in the East and just because he’s not having the same season as he did last year doesn’t make him a lesser player amongst his peers. A 90 percent, Giannis is still better than most guys in the NBA. And thus far, he’s been the third-best player in the Eastern Conference.