Milwaukee Bucks: Greek Freak Gets The Help He Needed

He's called the Greek Freak for a reason.

At 6'11" and 242lbs with a 7'3" wingspan, Giannis Antetokounmpo has all of the tools to dominate the NBA. He's long, quick, strong, and has incredible drive.

He's the perfect NBA superstar with all the talent in the world and loyalty that is the envy of every other franchise.

Antetokounmpo came into 2018-19 averaging 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in the season prior. Strong numbers, but stats that could only earn the Milwaukee Bucks a 44-38 season and first-round playoff exit.

The expectations around the Bucks for 2018-19 generally looked like a successful regular season and exciting playoff run in the weaker Eastern division.

Most anticipated an overall improvement for the franchise, but few predicted what has since ensued.

Now 39 games into the season and the 2nd seed in the East at 28-11, a Conference Finals appearance isn't out of the question for the Bucks. In fact, it might just be the new expectation.

We've seen surprisingly fast starts to a season before. Taking each game as it came and enjoying it early, people were reluctant to jump on board with the Bucks as a genuine contender. But Christmas has come and gone, and calendars now read 2019. The wheels have fallen off the likes of the Pistons, Trail Blazers and Clippers who came out of the blocking flying. The good teams have started to distance themselves from the bad, and the Bucks are still towards the top of the NBA.

The doubters are converting into believers, and it has just as much to do with those that surround Antetokounmpo as it does the man himself.

The Main Man: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis is leading the Eastern Conference All-Star votes on the back of averaging 26.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

Filling the box score every night, Antetokounmpo always finds a way to have a positive influence on the game. If he's not scoring, he's blocking and affecting shots on the defensive end. His passing and basketball IQ continues to improve as he develops from 'just' a physical freak with potential, to NBA superstar and NBA MVP in-waiting.

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He wants to be the best and knows he can be the best. There's a good chance that one day, he will be.

Improving his shot and shot selection is Antetokoumpo's best chance at entering the list of all-time greats.

He's already close to unstoppable once he gets downhill and drives the lane. No doubt by design, 65.9% of Antetokoumpo's shot attempts come from inside five feet where he's shooting 75.5%. But he's a poor shooter in general.

He's shooting just 26.6% on all shots further than five feet from the basket. Antetokounmpo's 16.9% from beyond the arc isn't improving as the season goes on and is somewhat limiting just how dominant he can be. If he can get it to the 30.7% he averaged last season, it forces defences to close out and presents further opportunities for the Greek Freak to drive to an open basket, or find a teammate with a better shot.

This dunk right here should be a jaw-dropper that people remember forever. It is to an extent, but there's a significant chance Antetokounmpo equals, or even betters it, before the end of the month. This sort of thing will only occur more often if his three-point shot is worth the defence worrying about.

While the Bucks brass patiently wait for their superstar to develop at least a threatening jump shot, it's his teammates doing the damage from the outside as it becomes increasingly obvious that this Bucks team has been expertly put together to cater for Antetokounmpo's struggles from the perimeter.

The Supporting Cast

Khris Middleton has long been underrated as a crucial part to the team. His outside shooting is up with the best in the league despite hitting on 38.4% of his long-range shots this season, down from 39.6% in 2015-16 and 43.3% in 2016-17. His scoring is also down from 20.1 points per game in 2017-18 to 17.9 points per game this season. It sounds bad, but it's exactly what the Bucks want out of Middleton.

He and Antetokounmpo have added scoring help, and as a team, they're more than happy to share the ball.

Their 144-112 win over the Hawks paints the picture perfectly.

All but Sterling Brown took to the floor on the night with 12 players clocking double-digit minutes in the blowout. All 12 scored eight points or more while nobody scored more than 19 points. In a game where points were on offer for whoever wanted them, the Bucks shared it around and everybody ate.

It sums them up to a tee and it's that depth that has people excited about their ceiling for this season.

Malcolm Brogdon was drafted by the Bucks in 2016 and has carved out a role as a reliable shooting guard alongside the athletic, non-shooting Eric Bledsoe in the backcourt, following a suprising Rookie of the Year win in his freshman season. Brogdon's willingness to take somewhat of a backseat and wait for his moment to dominate from beyond the arc while shooting 43.3% is an ideal option beside the bulldogging Bledsoe.

Brook Lopez has been a revelation, and in hindsight, was destined to thrive in this offence. Effectively creating a new type of three-and-block big player type, he's making 2.6 three-pointers and blocking 1.9 shots per game. He recently became the first seven-footer to make seven three's in back-to-back games and with 101 makes on the season so far, is on pace to smash Dirk Nowitski's single-season record for seven-footers of 151 made three's.

Giannis mirroring how Bucks fans feel about the Brook Lopez signing pic.twitter.com/AQ77DdCuYN

— Behind the Buck Pass (@BehindTheBucks) January 5, 2019

Middleton, Brogdon, Bledsoe and Lopez are credited as being the supporting cast for Antetokounmpo, but the list runs far deeper.

Ersan Ilyasova, Pat Connington and Tony Snell aren't household names. They'd need googling for the casual fan to put a face to the name. But for the Bucks, they are a key cog in the machine.

None average more than 20 minutes or 7.3 points per game. They've only started seven games between them this season. But the Bucks aren't the Bucks without the trio's continued, consistent production.

Milwaukee's 103.9 defensive rating ranks third in the NBA. It's the driving force behind the momentum the Bucks bandwagon is generating as we head towards the middling months of the season. It's Ilyasova, Connington and Snell's defensive influence off the bench that props it up.

The Bucks play with a 101.9 defensive rating with Connington on the floor. He's the worst of the three. With Ilyasova, it's 101.7. Snell, 99.9. Again, it points to Milwaukee's willingness to do everything it takes for the team to be successful.

Antetokounmpo is currently the favourite to win this season's Most Valuable Player award, and you can bet his teammates will feature heavily in any speech he makes should it eventuate ("teammates, you the real MVP..." anyone?). 

But just like his teammates to him, they are nothing without their superstar.

While what surrounds the Greek Freak will ultimately be a significant reason for any success the Bucks may have, it's up to him to propel them to the top.

We're past the "are they for real?" stage - they undoubtedly are. 

The question now is can Antetokounmpo and co. get through the East and into their first NBA Finals since 1973-74?

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