Giannis Antetokounmpo Starts Own Club with Freakish Stats in 2017
Milwaukee Bucks young star Giannis Antetokounmpo finished 2016-17 with 1,832 points, 700 rebounds, 434 assists, 151 blocks and 131 steals, leading his team in each of the five categories.
The Alphabet also completed the 2016-17 ranking in the league's top 20 in all five major stat categories, becoming the first player in NBA history to reach those milestones, per the Bucks on Twitter. He finished the campaign 14th in total scoring, 15th in rebounding, 18th in assists, fifth in blocks and ninth in steals, proving to be an all-around player.
Antetokounmpo possesses a rare combination of length and athleticism that has lent him the nickname of The Greek Freak. His increased level of play this season earned the 22-year-old his first All-Star nomination and start while also receiving serious consideration for the league's Most Improved Player award for 2016-17.
His stat increase has been extremely noticeable. He's added 6.0 points, 1.1 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals per game to his output from the 2015-16 campaign. The big man moved from potential star to superstar this season, carrying a club that had the services of its three best players—Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton—for all but one game this season.
The Bucks enter the postseason with the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, sporting a 42-40 record thanks largely to their budding star. The club's Game 1 matchup against the Toronto Raptors arrives Saturday evening as they look to parlay their regular-season success into a first-round upset.
