Over the first two weeks of the season, Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo was performing at an insane levels that had pundits mentioning him alongside some of the greats.
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the NBA in scoring (31.3 PPG).
The last Bucks player to lead the NBA in scoring? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971-72). pic.twitter.com/iRCnWcz7jG
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 3, 2017
The @Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first player since Michael Jordan in 1991-92 with 35+ PPG & 65+ FG% through his first four games.
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) October 24, 2017
Giannis Antetokounmpo's Insane Start Has Him in Elite Company https://t.co/aHhMbikTj0
— numberFire (@numberFire) October 25, 2017
During the first week of November, however, he's not flashing the form that had those aforementioned pundits anointing him the MVP.
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 37.4 | 33.7 | 10.3 | 5.3 | 63.2% |
| November | 35.0 | 21.5 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 41.9% |
The most logical explanation for the slump is tiredness, as quantified by the steep drop in the Greek Freak's shooting percentage. But there's help on the way:
Suns finalizing deal to send Eric Bledsoe to Bucks, league sources tell @ZachLowe_NBA and me.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 7, 2017
Last season, in his 66 games, Bledsoe averaged 21.1 points. He's a proven scorer and can't be left open, which should give Antetokounmpo more room to work and allow coach Jason Kidd to give the Alphabet a few minutes of rest here and there.
Because based on his November, dude needs it.