After 13 years, the Milwaukee Bucks will finally get to see one of their players showcase their talent in the NBA All-Star Game again.
His name is Giannis Antetokounmpo. And despite a lot of misspelled votes for the 22-year old, he compiled the second most votes among forwards in the Eastern conference, only behind LeBron James.
Four seasons ago in the 2013 draft, we watched the Greek Freak get selected 15th overall by Milwaukee. Bucks GM John Hammond was swinging for the fences, hoping he could land a superstar in Cream City.
That following season was a rough one for Bucks fans. The team managed an NBA-worst 15-67 record. Antetokounmpo averaged just over six points per game in his rookie campaign. The Bucks were bad, but Giannis also averaged just under 25 minutes per game. He was growing right before our eyes, but most of the NBA wouldn’t take notice until post all-star break last season.
He surprised everyone, recording five triple-doubles, good enough for fourth in the entire league, ahead of many established superstars (LeBron James, James Harden, John Wall).
Despite Antetokounmpo’s quick surge, the Bucks still finished with an unsatisfactory 33-49 record, no where near the Eastern conference playoff race.
This season, the Greek Freak picked up right where he left off, growing even higher. His video game like numbers of 23.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 2.1 BPG lead his team in every category. These numbers have increased in every one of his four seasons in the league, and he is still just 22 years-old, leaving plenty of time for even more improvement?
Giannis has stepped up as the leader of Milwaukee. He makes it quite apparent that he wants to play in every game and leave everything on the court no matter where he is playing.
His first (of many) all-star appearance didn’t only grant him a roster spot, it granted him a spot in the starting lineup. This feat hasn’t been achieved by a Buck since Sidney Moncrief all the way back in 1986. Talk about turning back the clock.
Giannis will join LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler in the Eastern conference starting lineup.
This selection should just add to Antetokounmpo’s motivation about bringing success to the city of Milwaukee. The Bucks remain in the playoff hunt, but they’ll need to string something together to get over their current three game skid that has submerged them one game under .500 (20-21).
The Greak Freak will have to wait about a week to find out if his fellow teammate Jabari Parker made the all-star reserves. Whether Parker makes it or not, there is a new era ready to take the NBA by storm, and it resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Key Upcoming Dates
Thursday, January 26th: All-Star reserves are announced.
Friday, February 17th: All-Star Celebrity Game (ESPN), Rising Stars Challenge (TNT).
Saturday, February 18th: Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest (All TNT).
Sunday, February 19th: 66th All-Star Game from New Orleans (TNT).
Thursday, February 23rd: Trade deadline (3 PM ET).
