Giannis Antetokounmpo's Insane Start Has Him in Elite Company
Is there any player in the NBA that is more aptly nicknamed than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who we've all come to know as "the Greek Freak"?
He's from Greece and he's an actual freak of nature. It's beautiful in its simplicity, isn't it?
He's longer and more athletic than most, does practically everything from well to amazingly (apart from shoot from distance), and can guard literally any player on a basketball court. Oh, and he's only 22 frickin' years old.
Last year, he won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, but you could argue that he's deserved it in each season since his rookie campaign.
Giannis has improved every major stat, every year, since he came into the NBA. pic.twitter.com/GBttnUpO9L
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 3, 2017
And he's at it again this year. Here are his numbers four games into the 2017-18 campaign.
Season | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013-14 | 6.8 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
2014-15 | 12.7 | 6.7 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 1.0 |
2015-16 | 16.9 | 7.7 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
2016-17 | 22.9 | 8.8 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
2017-18 | 36.8 | 10.8 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 |
Ok, so the trend of every single stat going up might be broken this year, but that is still a ridiculous five-year trajectory, regardless of nitpicking.
He currently leads the NBA in, well, everything: minutes played (154), field goals made (58), field goals attempted (88), points (147), minutes per game (38.5), points per game (36.8), player efficiency rating (40.1), offensive win shares (1.0), win shares (1.2), box plus/minus (15.7), offensive box plus/minus (13.8), value over replacement player (0.7), nERD (1.9), and filthy game-winning blocks.
Giannis: Career-high 44 points. Two crunch-time steals. THIS game-sealing block: pic.twitter.com/Uk9b3bk1tV
— The Ringer (@ringer) October 22, 2017
Oh, and he's third in free throws made (30), second in attempted (40), sixth in defensive rebounds (36), seventh in total rebounds (43), fifth in steals (9), seventh in field goal percentage (65.9%), ninth in rebounds per game (10.8), fifth in steals per game (2.2), and second in win shares per 48 minutes (.374).
It might not have been necessary to list every single one of those stats, but then again, it kind of was. I mean, look at them again. Just do it, I'll wait.
Suddenly, Antetokounmpo is the odds-on favorite to win the NBA MVP award this year. Yes, it's early. Yes, things might change. But also yes, it's ok to just enjoy the heck out of what this freak of a man-child is doing on the hardwood.
When people throw sample size in your face when you’re analyzing early-season returns… pic.twitter.com/gbJbjH98yx
— Russell Peddle (@rustypedalbike) October 25, 2017
Besides, even with all the small sample size caveats you can throw around, Antetokounmpo is putting his name next to some pretty big ones in the history books.
Along with Shaq & Wilt, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 1 of 3 players to score 115+ PTS on 65+% FG through their team's first 3 games of a season. pic.twitter.com/PuDR0pPwPL
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) October 23, 2017
Wow, Shaq and Wilt. Worth noting: those guys were humongous.
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
Michael Jordan? You don't say.
.@Giannis_An34's 147 points through the first 4 games passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most pts in Bucks history through teams' first 4 games. pic.twitter.com/Dw8LjqJ7ME
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 24, 2017
Get out! Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? That's kind of nuts.
Giannis:
One of 4 players since 1984 to average 30+ PTS, 10+ REB & 5+ AST through 4 games. #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/Ln8YglaqXB
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) October 24, 2017
So, that's Larry Bird, Steve Francis, and Russell Westbrook. Is that it?
Giannis Watch:
147 PTS
43 REB
21 AST
No player in @NBAHistory has that many PTS, REB & AST through the first 4 games of a season. pic.twitter.com/X3RtWEd1bD
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) October 24, 2017
Oh, and there's that, too.
Let's review: Giannis' season-to-date draws comparisons to five Hall of Famers and greatest-player-of-all-time contenders in Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and Shaquille O'Neal, last year's MVP in Russell Westbrook, and, well, nobody? As in, he's doing things that no one in the history of the game has ever done and now stands as the precedent if anyone else in NBA history ever pulls off these ridiculous numbers?
Sample size be damned, Antetokounmpo looks like a player on the verge of becoming legendary.
Let's enjoy the silly, beautiful ride.