Giannis Antetokounmpo Has The Whole World In His Hands

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Giannis Antetokounmpo Has The Whole World In His Hands When the gangly body of Giannis Antetokounmpo made its way across the stage to shake hands with Adam Silver

1 Giannis Antetokounmpo Has The Whole World In His Hands When the gangly body of Giannis Antetokounmpo made its way across the stage to shake hands with Adam Silver when he was selected with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft, he became the top selected Greek player in NBA history. He made his country beam with pride, as the nation s

2 sports fans expected greatness from the 18-year old phenom. They expected this, but the NBA didn t. Who could possibly have predicted that Antetokounmpo would quickly become the league s most promising young star? In 2013, the rookie season of Antetokounmpo went as expected. He showed rare flashes of potential, but for the most part his game aligned with the narrative placed on him pre-draft; a raw, unpolished talent. Fast forward to the NBA season, and the often-mispronounced name is creeping its way towards the top tier of NBA players. It goes far beyond counting stats or even advanced stats. But, the counting stats don t lie in this case. No player has ever averaged at least 20 points, six assists, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks per game throughout an entire season, a stat-line that Antetokounmpo currently boasts. His impact has surprised most, but he has met the expectations of those who watched him grow throughout his time playing basketball in Greece. Grigoris Melas. It s a name not known by those in the NBA realm, but to Giannis Antetokounmpo it s a name that has influenced his game more than almost anyone. Melas coached Antetokounmpo throughout his U14,15, and 16 years with the Greek team Filathlitikos. When asked if he was surprised by Antetokounmpo s recent NBA success, Melas quickly responded. No I am not surprised from Giannis from the [start] I recognized the flame in his eyes, Melas said of they freakishly long forward, he had a passion for winning. He s a hardworking guy and he will never stop working like a [dog] until he reaches the top of the world. Melas had an inside look at the inevitability that made him great. Not

3 only is he committed to bettering his game, he also possesses a genuine humbleness that can win over the harshest of critics. Most recently, a story of Antetokounmpo went viral on Twitter in his moment of humanness before a Bucks game his rookie season. It s hard not to love a humble player well on his way to basketball glory. It s also hard not to love a 6 10" ball-handler that serves as a Swiss army knife for his team. Antetokounmpo is the main focus for the Bucks on offense. It s an easy choice. His playmaking ability is evident in transition, troubling defenses with his length and speed. He can come at you with an unstoppable Eurostep that seems to send him cross-country in two long steps. He also has the patience and wherewithal to wait until the last

4 second and deliver an unthinkable pass. Giannis always had a high standard of understanding the court, the opponents and his teammates Melas says of Antetokounmpo s high court IQ. It s evident in plays like the one above, where he pushes the ball in transition and makes a circus pass to a cutting Jabari Parker. The on-court examples go on and on showing his understanding of court presence. Here we see Antetokounmpo draw Elfrid Payton towards him and throws a no-look pass to Malcolm Brogdon, who hits the outside shot.

5 He possesses an attacking mind, but isn t hesitant to find his teammates on the move. Here he pulls back the aggressiveness and kicks the ball out to Mirza Teletovic who gives Jason Terry an open look. Antetokounmpo s sterling season has been elevated by his incredible array of moves off the dribble. It goes far beyond his unstoppable Eurostep that seems to take him cross-country in just two long steps. He s still developing in that aspect, but it s evident he s more comfortable with the ball in his hands and uses his length and quickness to cause matchup problems for any defender. Antetokounmpo has been confident using his moves on both ends of the court, showing a beautiful one here against an outmatched Aaron Gordon.

6 Carrying the load on offense has been a completed task for him thus far, as the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in serious contention early on despite losing Khris Middleton before the season. His energy has always been a plus to his team, and his leadership shines through his off-ball activity. On offense, it s hard not to notice the way he glides from one end of the court to the other. Every movement has meaning for Antetokounmpo, and it allows him to get open more times than not. Watch as he beats Bojan Bogdanovic on an easy back-door cut than finish over two defenders for a dunk.

7 Even more incredible is his defensive awareness. Coach Jason Kidd has assigned him with a read defense role. He lurks for the ball on every possession, guarding both his man and the ball at the same time. The length and quickness Antetokounmpo possesses allows him to guard virtually two men at once. This does leave him susceptible to over committing at times, but for the most part the project has been successful.

8 Few possess the ability to commit to a double team on the perimeter, than switch back to his man and successfully defend the rim. And even fewer almost 7-footers can switch on to a quick guard on the perimeter and still force a tough shot.

9 With all the incredible talent Antetokounmpo shows, he s still just 22- years old and developing. The weaknesses of his game are still evident, which should cause concern for any Eastern Conference team that doesn t possess LeBron James for the next few years. The most criticized weakness has been his poor outside shooting. Spiros Velliniatis, the man credited for discovering Antetokounmpo, blames NBA development for his weak outside game. Three-point shooting in his first year [at Filathlitikos] was at 33 percent, but he had no mid-range game because mainly of the philosophy of Coach Zivas; three-pointers and layups. [Shooting percentage] were higher than it was after NBA coaches worked on him his middle game developed little and his three-point game was destroyed. Many factors go into a regression in outside shooting from European players. The main one being a shorter three-point line in Europe compared to the NBA. But Velliniatis may have a strong point in saying NBA philosophies could have contributed towards Antetokounmpo s outside limitations. His confidence in his shot has gradually decreased, which was evident in Olympic qualifiers and even as recently as this season.

10 We often see hesitation when he has an open look outside. It has plagued him since the start of his career, but once the habit is forgotten the NBA could find itself a new star. An outside threat would make Antetokounmpo even more unpredictable to defend. His lack of outside shooting makes his production all the more incredible. 65% of his shots come from less than 10 feet, allowing him to amass a top-five league dunk total. He s become the player to watch. He obtains an off-court attitude that shows his youth, which contrasted by his leadership and poise on the court. To call him a star-in-the making sells his importance to his franchise short. Antetokounmpo has penetrated the difficult barrier of stardom, and amazingly he still has ways to go. Antetokounmpo has already captivated his homeland of Greece. Traditionally a soccer-crazed nation, Greece has returned its attention to

11 a once prominent basketball federation. Giannis Antetokounmpo s stardom has revived an entire nation s love for the NBA, with an odd sprinkle of green Bucks jerseys filtering Athens. It s Adam Silver s dream to have a humble European star reach the pinnacle of the sport in the league s continuing quest to capture fans around the world. Greece has had its star since the day the difficult name was announced in the 2013 NBA Draft. Coach Melas says Giannis is an idol for the young people in Greece, especially nowadays with this economic crisis. Every young basketball player has the dream to become the new Greek Freak. He also goes on to say that the entire family will lead Greece basketball towards prominence. I believe that Giannis and his brothers are the future of Greek national basketball team. In the next five years there will be four (Giannis, Thanasis, Kostas and Alex) Antetokounmpos on the team. Velliniatis also believes that his impact as been incredible for the nation s view on basketball, but is cautious to those thinking the nation will start to pump out products matching Antetokounmpo: Giannis is a [standout product] of Greek basketball for inside knowers. It s true, Greece probably won t ever see any player the likes of Antetokounmpo come from their program again. But that s only because there will never be another Giannis Antetokounmpo anywhere in the world. His captivation of Greece was only his first step to international stardom. His next quest has already been completed partially into his fourth season; to put the NBA on notice.

12 And he s certainly done so. He s no longer a potential star. He is a star, and that sentiment is shared throughout the smartest minds in basketball. Antetokounmpo s true wingspan has been able to capture two nations a sea apart, and it s been a blessing to all parties involved. When asked if Antetokounmpo can become a top-three player in this league, Velliniatis stated it was too early to tell, but went on to say that [Giannis] has faced hunger [and beat it], therefore he is a champion. He may have beaten hunger, but it s what continues to fuel him to this day. A story of unlikely triumph from a man whose home nation is going through a crippling economic crisis is too feel-good to not to love. But add in the fact that he is a dominant, quick, dunk-happy, Greekaccented freak of nature; it s hard not to feel captivated about what Giannis Antetokounmpo brings to both basketball and life. The ceiling is endless for the Greek Freak. His NBA stardom as rising with each game, and the love shown to him by the city of Milwuakee is only trumped by the pride his home country has for him. At just 22- years-old, Giannis Antetokounmpo is primed to take the basketball world into his hands. As the debate of who will take the crown as the best player in the league post-lebron is slowly coming closer, Antetokounmpo could make it a no-contest. He has the whole basketball world in his hands, let s just hope he shows it mercy.

13 Tagged in Sports, NBA, Basketball, Writing, Greece By George Kondoleon on December 22, Canonical link Exported from Medium on October 19, 2017.

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