Giannis Antetokounmpo Is the NBA's Next Great Matchup Nightmare
There's no telling what type of player Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to develop into.
As a precocious rookie for the Milwaukee Bucks, the No. 15 pick of the 2013 NBA draft proved that typical timetables didn't really apply to him. Even though it was supposed to be highly unlikely that he crack the rotation as a first-year player, he did exactly that, even starting an outing against the New York Knicks just 25 games into the season.
His matchup didn't faze him, which is quite impressive since he was largely tasked with guarding Carmelo Anthony. Per Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Antetokounmpo revealed just how little he cared about the difficulty of the endeavor, also noting that all Anthony's points came while he was on the bench or guarding someone else:
"The reason was Carmelo. I respect him. He's one of the best players, but he can't come out and start bullying my teammates and me, like talking to me all the time. I tried to not react and you have to respect him. If he does it all night you can't focus on your game so you have to respond and tell him something to stop. When I go out there I don’t care who you are, for me it's just a jersey.
Sometimes you've got to respond because you can't be like a chicken.
"
Anthony is a matchup nightmare, regardless of the impact he had on the rookie's mental state.
One of the best scorers in recent basketball history, he has an unfair arsenal of offensive moves. He's a potent shooter from the perimeter, a man who specializes in making shots that other players wouldn't even dream of taking and a big forward who isn't afraid of using his size to his advantage in the post.
There's a reason Kobe Bryant claimed Anthony was the toughest player to guard. And LeBron James isn't going to disagree:
But the next time the Knicks and the Bucks match up against one another, the tables will have turned. The tides will shift, and there will be a new matchup nightmare to talk about.
As difficult as Anthony is to guard, he'll be checked by an even more unique player, even if there's a lot of growing to do before their skills can be reasonably put in the same conversation.
Versatility as a Rookie
Even as a first-year player, Antetokounmpo's diverse skills and fantastic physical tools made him into an asset who could be moved from one spot to another in the Milwaukee lineup. The team took advantage of that, playing him primarily on the wings but shifting him around depending on matchups and the other players who were available on any given night.
Basketball-Reference.com shows that he spent 67 percent of his minutes at the 3, but he also dabbled at both power forward and shooting guard. Meanwhile, 82games.com spreads him out even further, claiming that he spent time at every position but center, even if small forward was still his primary spot in the lineup.
Regardless, he was a versatile talent.
And as Milwaukee general manager John Hammond explained to Velazquez before adding Jabari Parker to the Bucks' collection of talent, the plan was always to use the ever-growing Greek prospect at multiple positions:
"I think, once again, that these guys are multiple-position guys helps that discussion. For that matter, I think Giannis is going to be a multiple-position player some day. He came last September he was 6-9, 190 (lbs.) and today he's almost 6-11, 217 pounds. I think Giannis is a guy that is going to be able to play, at his size, he's going to be able to play some small forward and he's going to play some power forward some day.
"
Only aiding this versatility was a well-rounded set of skills.
Granted, Antetokounmpo didn't impress statistically during his first go-round. But remember to take context into the evaluation, as he wasn't even supposed to be playing in the Association, much less making a positive impact.
During that first go-round, he averaged 10 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes. On pace to shoot 2.2 triples over the same time frame, he connected on 34.7 percent of his looks from beyond the arc.
Now, how many established players had their per-game averages match each of those marks? Not even one. Josh Smith was the lone player to achieve each of the counting benchmarks, but his shooting was so atrocious that he doesn't qualify.
That's the type of uniqueness that we're looking at with Antetokounmpo, as he can use his size, lankiness and athleticism to make an impact in just about every area possible.
And the Bucks know it.
Giannis the Point Guard
If Gary Payton is sold, as relayed by Eurohoops.net, you should be too:
"When Jason [Kidd] said to me that he intends to use him as a point guard, I told him to stop making jokes. 'Gary don't talk before you see him,' was his answer and I watched him during the Las Vegas Summer League. He can handle the ball, he can drive, he is smart and he is really athletic. That's why I was asked to go to Milwaukee during the training camp in order to help him adapt to the demands of the modern point guard position.
"
Wait. Stop.
Point guard? A 6'11" player with a 7'5" wingspan running the show as a floor general? Is that really possible?
Remember, this 19-year-old is no ordinary prospect. He's a unique commodity, and he's still so raw that he can be molded however the Milwaukee coaching staff desires. So yes, it is really possible.
Thus far, it's absolutely been working, based on both his play during summer league and his willingness to develop.
Here's what he told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders about the move:
"I'm not going to say I was shocked by it. It's something that I feel comfortable with and I'll play wherever Coach wants me to play, especially when it's Coach Kidd who thinks that I can play point guard. That makes me feel like, 'I can play it. I can play point guard.' I'm going to try my best and just listen to Coach. I'll do whatever Coach says to do and I'll get more comfortable.
"
In addition to having the tools necessary to run the point, Antetokounmpo has other advantages at his disposal. Not many players have the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest 1-guards of all time, as he does now that Jason Kidd has taken over as the Milwaukee head coach. And beyond that, he gets to work with Payton, another legend at the position.
Antetokounmpo knows how lucky he is.
"Oh man, it's really important and nice, since they're some of the best point guards in NBA history," he explained to Kennedy. "Not only are they great point guards, they're great basketball players and can help us all basketball wise. Whatever they say, that is what I'm going to do. I'm so happy to have guys like them as I figure out the position and to have them teach me."
It's worth noting that no one knows exactly what Payton's role in the organization will be.
"And so Gary at some point might come in and talk, but we're not going to hire him," Kidd told CBS Sports' James Herbert, but that still indicates there might be some influence from the former 1-guard.
Of course, the 19-year-old has a lot of growing to do regardless of his spot in the lineup. Though his jumper looked more confident and smooth during summer league, and his handles were noticeably tighter, he didn't exactly set the bar particularly high as a rookie.
Thing is, the conversation shouldn't center around what he's done, but rather what he can do with his oodles of potential. And if the Bucks are teaching him how to run the point, there's no way that can be a negative.
Think about the two possible outcomes.
If he takes to the position, he's going to be the most unique floor general in NBA history, a 1-guard who stands far taller than Magic Johnson ever did. Not one of the most unique point guards, but the most unique. And even if he doesn't, instead shifting back to a more traditional spot in the lineup, he'll still have picked up a few tricks of the trade that most forwards don't have a chance to practice.
It's the classic win-win scenario.
"We've lauded LeBron James for being able to play and defend all five positions, but we might be stretching it a bit with him playing and defending the five. But could Giannis be the guy to do that? At 6'11'', he certainly has the height," Bryan Mears posited for NumberFire.com. "Could the Bucks figure out how to use him as a point guard on offense and a rim-protecting big on defense?"
They're trying, and that effort alone should do wonders when attempting to morph Antetokounmpo into the NBA's next matchup nightmare. He's already on that path, after all.
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