It was quite the year for the Greek Freak.
2016-17: 22.9 points (52.1% FG, 27.2% 3PT, 77.0% FT), 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists
2017-18: 26.9 points (52.9% FG, 30.7% 3PT, 77.0% FT), 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists
As the curtain came down on Game 7 of the Milwaukee Bucks first round series loss to the Boston Celtics, it also signaled the end of yet another career season for the 23-year-old Greek superstar. On the back of winning the Association’s most improved award in 2017, Giannis took his game to another level once more, transforming from burgeoning star to fully fledged MVP caliber talent. In a season that undoubtedly failed to reach outside expectations from a team perspective, individually, the now two time All-Star starter dazzled on a nightly basis, combining grace and brute strength to become a genuine must see athlete on the level that only a handful at best can claim to be his equal. The season began and ended in Boston for Milwaukee, but in between was an endless array of highlights and drama that only left Bucks fans pining for more.
Late Game Heroics v Portland: The Greek Freak got his first taste of knocking down a game winning shot at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks last season, and one year on he has added to his building resume of clutch game winning plays. In the third game of the season against Portland, Giannis took matters into is own hands with the game on the line. To be the hero however, he first had to let the Blazers back into the game. With Milwaukee leading by four points with under two minutes left, Giannis missed three of his four free throws to leave the Bucks behind by one point with just 30 seconds on the clock. A timeout was called, and a clearly distressed Antetokounmpo berated himself, punching the bench in frustration. On the ensuing play, he harassed C.J McCollum without fouling and managed to poke the ball free to the gleefully accepting Malcolm Brogdon. Giannis immediately busted out in transition to receive the pass and throw down a two handed jam to give the Bucks the lead. Incredible.
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With the Bucks now up by one with 11 seconds left, Portland had one last shot to finish the game. Damian Lillard found a rolling Jusuf Nurkic in the paint for what initially appeared to be a golden opportunity for a game winning lay-up. Instead Giannis was able to anticipate the play, leaving Pat Connaughton in the corner to rise up and stuff Nurkic at the rim for the game ending defensive highlight.
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It was the ultimate response to the extreme disappointment of just minutes earlier. It was a definitive moment in Antetokounmpo’s young career. A career high 44 points at home, against a Western Conference playoff team, with game winning possessions in the final 30 seconds on both ends of the floor. It was a special performance. It was an MVP performance from Giannis.
Jabari returns, Giannis wins it: February 2nd marked the long awaited return of the Bucks former number two overall pick, Jabari Parker. Parker was set to return against a disappointing New York Knicks team who were essentially already out of the playoff race. On the surface, it appeared like it would be a celebratory night at the Bradley Center, a time for the fans to enjoy a victory and the emotional come back of Parker, who had just gone through his second brutal bout of rehab, following a second knee reconstruction in three years. Despite those hopes, the Bucks found themselves in a battle with time winding down in the fourth as the plucky Knicks proved to be the more desperate of the two sides, especially on the glass, where they eventually held a 57-36 edge. A Giannis finger roll tied things up at 90 with exactly two minutes remaining, before things got real ugly down the stretch. Neither team was able to score over the next 90 seconds and when Antetokounmpo secured the rebound on a Enes Kanter miss, it was down to the last shot.
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Utilizing his now patented spin move when getting downhill to the basket, Giannis was able to find just enough breathing room for his simply unfair wingspan to flip up the game winning lay-up. Giannis had once again beaten the Knicks in the final seconds. It wasn’t pretty, But Giannis had single handily ensured the Jabari comeback night was one to remember.
The injuries: It wasn’t all warm and fuzzy when it came to Giannis this season. A slightly alarming array of ailments causing him to not only miss games but at times visibly play through pain. Antetokounmpo came into the season with a known knee complaint, a lingering soreness that was never able to be fully healed during the 82 game regular season grind. The full extent of the soreness Giannis played through could not be known, but he admitted himself that it had arose through a lack of rest. When you consider the fact that Giannis was at the very top for minutes played per game in the league with team mate Khris Middleton for the bulk of the season, the minute management of the Bucks franchise player was questionable to say the least. The knee concern was combined with repeatedly rolled ankles, as Antetokounmpo regularly found himself planting on opponents feet whilst attacking the rim. Overall he played 82 out of a possible 89 games but more than anyone on the roster, the time off will be well deserved and used as a chance to heal and recover in preparation to do it all again in 5 months time.
The jump shot: It’s a common cry from Antetokounmpo’s detractors. “He’s good, but he’ll never be great until he learns how to shoot”. Well, in a terrifying development for opposition defenses, his jump shot is coming along nicely and starting to command respect. Antetokounmpo knocked down 30 percent of his three-point tries this season, up from 27 percent last season. That figure rises to 33.3 percent on catch at shoot attempts from deep. Closer to the basket he clearly had worked on a Dirk Nowitzki like jump-shot over the off-season, that proved unguardable in post up situations. In this clip we see him guarded by Al Horford in Game 3 of the first round. Horford proved to be a monster defensively over the course of the series, but in this instance he is completely powerless to the Antetokounmpo fadeaway. This became a staple in his offense as the season wore on and will always be there for him when he wants or needs to get a good look.
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The work ethic of Antetokounmpo is well known at this point. He’s an old school gym rat and just days after the season ended, social media websites were showing videos of Giannis at the Bucks training facility getting some shots up. One of his greatest attributes is work rate, it’s well established he wants to be great, far from satisfied with his achievements so far. But now it will be about translating that desire into confidence on the floor. The no hesitation, quick release jump shot looks great, he just has to be prepared to let fly.
The Dunk: Recently voted the NBA’s dunk of the year, Giannis Antetokounmpo provided one of the seasons most astonishing highlights. And of course, he did it in the worlds most famous arena against the team he has tormented more than any other thus far. The New York Knicks.
Khris Middleton stole the ball away on the back of an errant Knicks pass and immediately broke down the floor with Giannis trailing. With only Tim Hardaway Jr in between the two Bucks and the rim, a Giannis dunk felt inevitable. Middleton lobbed the ball high in the air to the outstretched Giannis who received the ball in mid flight and threw the ball down in an athletic act of pure beauty. The MSG crowd gasped with awe, as Mike Breen excitedly called the action from side court and John McEnroe watched on from his court side seat in a stunned stupor. What many didn’t realize, including myself when watching live, was the fact the Giannis completely jumped OVER Hardaway for the flush. That’s right, he launched completely over the head of the helpless Knick to bring back memories of Vince Carter in the 2000 Olympics. It was an absolutely ridiculous moment and one that will not be forgotten for a long, long time to come.
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What’s to come: Looking ahead to next season it’s hard to really believe or expect that Giannis can continue to improve at such a rapid rate. For perspective on how special his season was this year, in the history of the NBA, the list of players to have ever averaged 26+ points, 10+ rebounds, 4+ assists, 1+ steal and 1+block over the course of a season is:
- Kareeem Abdul Jabbar x3
- Larry Bird
- Bob McAdoo
- David Robinson
- Chris Webber
- DeMarcus Cousins
- GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Seems like decent company.
With the Bucks announcing Mike Budenholzer as their new coach for season 2018/19, they will have a veteran coach that has a history of being able to adapt his schemes on both ends depending on the players he has at his disposal. With the acquisition of Eric Bledsoe, the point Giannis experiment slowly faded into the distance, but will we see a resurgence of the secret weapon under Bud? Will Giannis be able to take the next step shooting from the outside?
The expectations will be clear, from a team standpoint first round exits are no longer acceptable. On a personal level you want to see Giannis go from fringe MVP candidate to a bonafide chance to win the award. The time is now for Giannis and Milwaukee, the Greek Freak is heading for greatness, and the city of Milwaukee is along for the ride.
*All stats sourced from nba.com and basketball-reference.com
Follow Kane Pitman on twitter: @mkebucksaus
