[casey38rayParticipant]

 I’ve read mixed reviews on how people view Giannis Antetokounmpo as a player. I see people call him overrated and people saying he’s the next " star " in this league.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is 6’11" 220 pounds and is only 19 years old. It’s hard not to see his potential. Some people look at raw numbers and based that he’s overrated because averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. You can’t base that he’s overrated based on that because the numbers don’t showcase his skill level. I don’t expect him to be great this year or maybe next year. I expect him to showcase his skills and improve.

I compare him to Paul George. Paul George is 6’10" and he didn’t have a fast track to greatness in the league. Paul George averaged about the same number of points and rebounds as him. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo is not as top 100 player in the NBA ( ESPN ). But he have top 10 in the NBA talent. By that I mean that if you look at raw skills, he have the skill set of being as top 10 player. He’s athletic, can handle the ball, he’s 6’11, he can play 3 positions,  he’s 19, and he have a nice shooting form. That adds up to be a potential star in this league. All he is is potential right now and he needs to worl on his 3 point shooting, strength, finishing ability, and awareness to put things all together. 

He have all the tools to be a phenom and add him with a player like Jabari Parker and Larry Sanders to play with him and Jason Kidd to coach him he will have a easy developmental process to be great.

Season Projections: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 44% field, and 33% 3 point.

 

 

 

 

 

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

 Paul George isn’t 6’10. 

He has top ten potential being gifted that tall, long and with mobilty. Not talent because he has a long ways to go with his shooting, ball handling overall game being really raw. I don’t think any legit basketball person believes a guy that most didn’t know about before being drafted 15th overall to impress everyone, and to make everyone think back that he could have gone first now is overrated.

[lalailaParticipant]

I agree with your height statement, guys with "potential" usually gets wake heights weights ect. 

Look at any photo at media day or somewhere Paul George looks like good 5-6 inches shorter than Hibbert and shorter than West, so what? Hibbert is 7’4 and West around 7feet?

 

same with Giannis he looks more 6’10 210 than 6’11 220lbs

 

even Anthony Davis gets there maybe. He may have grown an inch or something but i don’t know if his winspan got from 7’5.5 (combine) to sick 7’7.75 (pelicans poster) and if so then this is just ridiculous

[lalailaParticipant]

I agree with your height statement, guys with "potential" usually gets wake heights weights ect. 

Look at any photo at media day or somewhere Paul George looks like good 5-6 inches shorter than Hibbert and shorter than West, so what? Hibbert is 7’4 and West around 7feet?

 

same with Giannis he looks more 6’10 210 than 6’11 220lbs

 

even Anthony Davis gets there maybe. He may have grown an inch or something but i don’t know if his winspan got from 7’5.5 (combine) to sick 7’7.75 (pelicans poster) and if so then this is just ridiculous

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

 Paul George isn’t 6’10. 

He has top ten potential being gifted that tall, long and with mobilty. Not talent because he has a long ways to go with his shooting, ball handling overall game being really raw. I don’t think any legit basketball person believes a guy that most didn’t know about before being drafted 15th overall to impress everyone, and to make everyone think back that he could have gone first now is overrated.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I think Giannis’ ball handling and passing is above average (for a wing player). The breach between now and being a very good player (not saying elite) is very small. I think he has the talent and the size to make it. He just needs to get used to the league. Considering where he was picked, just him being a decent 3pt shooter when left open and being a solid defender, that’s a big win for the Bucks right there… but he’s capable of more.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I think Giannis’ ball handling and passing is above average (for a wing player). The breach between now and being a very good player (not saying elite) is very small. I think he has the talent and the size to make it. He just needs to get used to the league. Considering where he was picked, just him being a decent 3pt shooter when left open and being a solid defender, that’s a big win for the Bucks right there… but he’s capable of more.

[tuck243Participant]

 Paul George is an anomaly…  The way he progressed is extremely different than any other superstar.  He’s a legit top 15-20 player in this league and did it in a short span of time from being ok to great..  Giannis is talented, but he becomes overrated on this site because ppl discuss him too much here.  That’s fine, but it’s all about his potential…  His production is a**…  Simply put…  They’re in love with him being 6-11 and can bring the ball up the floor…  Ok? A few plays that make you go "Wow!" doesn’t mean he’s going to be nice..  Someone even made a comment "if you were the Bucks and the Lakers or Mavs tried to give you Kobe or Dirk you shouldn’t take it". Like huh??  

I watched all of Giannis games in Summer League…  He’s not a freaking PG and shouldn’t have the ball in his hands for an extended amount of time…  He can’t get his own shot and his decision making is spotty…  He started PG last night and didn’t do ish…  In fact he played terrible there…  Yet, it’s ANOTHER post describing just how great he’s going to be…  I honestly hope he will be great, but his current game is lacking big time.  Question…  Is his handle or passing ability better than Brandon Knight?  Other PG’s? If that’s a no then he shouldn’t be playing PG…  Also, we still don’t know how good Jason Kidd is as a coach.  The Bucks are a young team with some talented players on there, but it’s going to be a rough year for all of them including Giannis…  Btw, Rubio entered the league at 19 and still haven’t progressed…  So chill out with giving that excuse for Giannis

[casey38rayParticipant]

 Paul George 1st year he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds shooting 29% from 3 and shooting 45% from the field while playing 21 minutes per game and played 61 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 7 points 4 rebounds shooting 41% from the field and 35% from behind the arch while playing 24 minutes. The practical had the same numbers in their rookie season while Paul George was about 2 years older than he was. The next season Paul George averaged 12 points, then he averaged 17 points, then 22 points. Paul George gradually improved as time went on and turned to be the player he is today. 

I never crowned as the next star, all I said was he have all the tools to be a outstanding player. As of right now he’s not that player. I said give him some time in the league and let him grow as a player for him to reach his ceiling. You cannot deny his talent. Yeah, people are amazed about his physical tools, age, athletic ability, and ball handling. That makes potential. He have all the tools to he great and that’s why people say he have so much potential because of his skill set and his physical outlook. Nobody said he’s a hall of fame lock or that he’s better than greats in the NBA. In my post I’ve said that he is not a top 100 player, yet. I’ve said he might not be great in the following year as well. My post was all about his talent and how good he can be in a couple of seasons. Nobody’s  crowning him. 

And I would take Giannis Antetokounmpo over Kobe and Dirk today because he’s much younger than. Both of them. It’s like saying you will take Payton Manning over Andrew Luck to run your team. It’s fairly easy I would want the 19 year old over the 36 year old any day. 

Nobody expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to light the NBA up this season. But people just realize that Giannis Antetokounmpo is a great talent.

 

 

 

[tuck243Participant]

that fast is not normal.  The last player before Paul George was Tracy McGrady and both players were playing behind talented All-Star players, so looking at it from that stand point it makes sense.  Giannis is NOT the second coming of Paul George.  You can’t bring up how irrelevant stats are in your first post then use them to compare with Paul George.  And the fact that you wouldn’t trade him for Dirk or Kobe at this point is the reason he’s overrated… His career high in points is 16!!!

Nobody is saying he doesn’t have the tools it’s just he’s not as good and isn’t LOCKED to be better than what he is today…  And btw, he doesn’t look better than he did last year…  Being 19 is irrelevant…  Your progression from year to year is what matters… 

You just compared Giannis to Andrew Luck?  The guy who took his team to the playoffs EVERY year of his career?  Guy who broke rookie records?  A guy that everyone thought was the greatest prospect as a QB in YEARS?!!  That guy?! Giannis is NOT the Andrew Luck to Kobe’s Peyton Manning…  You see…THIS IS WHY HE’S OVERRATED to me..

[tuck243Participant]

that fast is not normal.  The last player before Paul George was Tracy McGrady and both players were playing behind talented All-Star players, so looking at it from that stand point it makes sense.  Giannis is NOT the second coming of Paul George.  You can’t bring up how irrelevant stats are in your first post then use them to compare with Paul George.  And the fact that you wouldn’t trade him for Dirk or Kobe at this point is the reason he’s overrated… His career high in points is 16!!!

Nobody is saying he doesn’t have the tools it’s just he’s not as good and isn’t LOCKED to be better than what he is today…  And btw, he doesn’t look better than he did last year…  Being 19 is irrelevant…  Your progression from year to year is what matters… 

You just compared Giannis to Andrew Luck?  The guy who took his team to the playoffs EVERY year of his career?  Guy who broke rookie records?  A guy that everyone thought was the greatest prospect as a QB in YEARS?!!  That guy?! Giannis is NOT the Andrew Luck to Kobe’s Peyton Manning…  You see…THIS IS WHY HE’S OVERRATED to me..

[casey38rayParticipant]

 I didn’t comparison to Andrew Luck was saying that which would you rather have in the next 10-15 . Of course Payton Manning is better than Luck now but in 5 years Payton Manning won’t be playing football. Just like Kobe and Dirk. 

Nobody is a lock to be a star. You basing that he don’t " look better " than he did last year based on 4 meaningless preseason games that Jason Kidd is experimenting different lineup combinations. And his career high might be 16 points. But he was 18 last year playing limited minutes and is extremely raw. I didn’t say he will be great right now or next year because I clearly said it will take time for him to grow physically and mentally. 

I never said he’s the second coming of Paul George.  I clearly only compared their games. 

 

 

[casey38rayParticipant]

 I didn’t comparison to Andrew Luck was saying that which would you rather have in the next 10-15 . Of course Payton Manning is better than Luck now but in 5 years Payton Manning won’t be playing football. Just like Kobe and Dirk. 

Nobody is a lock to be a star. You basing that he don’t " look better " than he did last year based on 4 meaningless preseason games that Jason Kidd is experimenting different lineup combinations. And his career high might be 16 points. But he was 18 last year playing limited minutes and is extremely raw. I didn’t say he will be great right now or next year because I clearly said it will take time for him to grow physically and mentally. 

I never said he’s the second coming of Paul George.  I clearly only compared their games. 

 

 

[casey38rayParticipant]

 Paul George 1st year he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds shooting 29% from 3 and shooting 45% from the field while playing 21 minutes per game and played 61 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 7 points 4 rebounds shooting 41% from the field and 35% from behind the arch while playing 24 minutes. The practical had the same numbers in their rookie season while Paul George was about 2 years older than he was. The next season Paul George averaged 12 points, then he averaged 17 points, then 22 points. Paul George gradually improved as time went on and turned to be the player he is today. 

I never crowned as the next star, all I said was he have all the tools to be a outstanding player. As of right now he’s not that player. I said give him some time in the league and let him grow as a player for him to reach his ceiling. You cannot deny his talent. Yeah, people are amazed about his physical tools, age, athletic ability, and ball handling. That makes potential. He have all the tools to he great and that’s why people say he have so much potential because of his skill set and his physical outlook. Nobody said he’s a hall of fame lock or that he’s better than greats in the NBA. In my post I’ve said that he is not a top 100 player, yet. I’ve said he might not be great in the following year as well. My post was all about his talent and how good he can be in a couple of seasons. Nobody’s  crowning him. 

And I would take Giannis Antetokounmpo over Kobe and Dirk today because he’s much younger than. Both of them. It’s like saying you will take Payton Manning over Andrew Luck to run your team. It’s fairly easy I would want the 19 year old over the 36 year old any day. 

Nobody expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to light the NBA up this season. But people just realize that Giannis Antetokounmpo is a great talent.

 

 

 

[tuck243Participant]

 Paul George is an anomaly…  The way he progressed is extremely different than any other superstar.  He’s a legit top 15-20 player in this league and did it in a short span of time from being ok to great..  Giannis is talented, but he becomes overrated on this site because ppl discuss him too much here.  That’s fine, but it’s all about his potential…  His production is a**…  Simply put…  They’re in love with him being 6-11 and can bring the ball up the floor…  Ok? A few plays that make you go "Wow!" doesn’t mean he’s going to be nice..  Someone even made a comment "if you were the Bucks and the Lakers or Mavs tried to give you Kobe or Dirk you shouldn’t take it". Like huh??  

I watched all of Giannis games in Summer League…  He’s not a freaking PG and shouldn’t have the ball in his hands for an extended amount of time…  He can’t get his own shot and his decision making is spotty…  He started PG last night and didn’t do ish…  In fact he played terrible there…  Yet, it’s ANOTHER post describing just how great he’s going to be…  I honestly hope he will be great, but his current game is lacking big time.  Question…  Is his handle or passing ability better than Brandon Knight?  Other PG’s? If that’s a no then he shouldn’t be playing PG…  Also, we still don’t know how good Jason Kidd is as a coach.  The Bucks are a young team with some talented players on there, but it’s going to be a rough year for all of them including Giannis…  Btw, Rubio entered the league at 19 and still haven’t progressed…  So chill out with giving that excuse for Giannis

[TRC1991Participant]

Giannis looks physically almost identical to Kevin Durant. Just doesn’t have the handle, strength or consistency…yet.

He’s still very raw but oh so intriguing

And last thing: he’s no point guard 

[TRC1991Participant]

Giannis looks physically almost identical to Kevin Durant. Just doesn’t have the handle, strength or consistency…yet.

He’s still very raw but oh so intriguing

And last thing: he’s no point guard 

[machu46Participant]

He won’t be a PG when it’s all said and done, but Giannis has a very unique skill-set.  He’s a good ball-handler and passer for someone with his size, and he’s a decent spot-up shooter already.  He needs to get stronger (which he has made a lot of progress in already), work on shooting off the dribble (which compared to last year, is a night-and-day difference), and simply learn the game more.

He has some natural awareness on the court that you don’t see in many players, but he also lacks some of the fundamental awareness that all NBA players need.

A lot of people look at Giannis’ stat line from the other night when he played as the PG and say he did horrible.  Personally, I look at what he did in the game and see progress.  It was pretty clear that he was instructed to slow things down so that they could work on the half-court offense, and a lot of what they did was simply have Giannis bring the ball down, pass to a guy at the high post, and cut to the basket.  He didn’t have a ton of opportunities to just create for teammates, but even then, he still put teammates in a lot of positions to score points.  They simply struggled spotting up.  He’s also shown tremendous progress in terms of being able to create his own shot off the dribble.  He had a few nice pull-ups off the pick and roll and a couple of nice spinning jump-shots.  They didn’t fall in this particular game, but if he continues to progress the way he has so far, making those shots will make things a lot easier for him.  He’s already a terror in transition, a crafty finisher around the rim, and an okay spot-up shooter.  Those shots off the dribble that he displayed against Cleveland and simply getting more experience are all he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer.

 

 

 

 

[machu46Participant]

He won’t be a PG when it’s all said and done, but Giannis has a very unique skill-set.  He’s a good ball-handler and passer for someone with his size, and he’s a decent spot-up shooter already.  He needs to get stronger (which he has made a lot of progress in already), work on shooting off the dribble (which compared to last year, is a night-and-day difference), and simply learn the game more.

He has some natural awareness on the court that you don’t see in many players, but he also lacks some of the fundamental awareness that all NBA players need.

A lot of people look at Giannis’ stat line from the other night when he played as the PG and say he did horrible.  Personally, I look at what he did in the game and see progress.  It was pretty clear that he was instructed to slow things down so that they could work on the half-court offense, and a lot of what they did was simply have Giannis bring the ball down, pass to a guy at the high post, and cut to the basket.  He didn’t have a ton of opportunities to just create for teammates, but even then, he still put teammates in a lot of positions to score points.  They simply struggled spotting up.  He’s also shown tremendous progress in terms of being able to create his own shot off the dribble.  He had a few nice pull-ups off the pick and roll and a couple of nice spinning jump-shots.  They didn’t fall in this particular game, but if he continues to progress the way he has so far, making those shots will make things a lot easier for him.  He’s already a terror in transition, a crafty finisher around the rim, and an okay spot-up shooter.  Those shots off the dribble that he displayed against Cleveland and simply getting more experience are all he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer.

 

 

 

 

[tuck243Participant]

Did you read what you said?

"Those shots off the dribble that he displayed against Cleveland and simply getting more experience are all he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer." 

That can be said for just about any young NBA player..  "If his shots were falling he could average 15-20 points a game"…  No shyt…  I watched the game and nothing about what he did showed he’s better or should be loved like this.  It’s getting disgusting at this point and not having ONE assist in 23 minutes of play is TERRIBLE PG play.  Showing flashes isn’t enough and him taking shots that he’s not hitting are not an indicator that they will eventually fall "with enough experience".  I get why you can be hyped, but this is getting out of hand.  

 

[tuck243Participant]

Did you read what you said?

"Those shots off the dribble that he displayed against Cleveland and simply getting more experience are all he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer." 

That can be said for just about any young NBA player..  "If his shots were falling he could average 15-20 points a game"…  No shyt…  I watched the game and nothing about what he did showed he’s better or should be loved like this.  It’s getting disgusting at this point and not having ONE assist in 23 minutes of play is TERRIBLE PG play.  Showing flashes isn’t enough and him taking shots that he’s not hitting are not an indicator that they will eventually fall "with enough experience".  I get why you can be hyped, but this is getting out of hand.  

 

[machu46Participant]

Simply put, no, that cannot be said for any young NBA player.  I did not say "If his shots were falling, he could average 15-20 points a game".  Giannis can already shoot spotting up, and showed good form on those turnaround jumpers to indicate that he can make those shots.  The key for him is continuing to learn the time and place for each of his moves, and continuing to work on his shot-creating ability.  He’s already shown vast improvement in that department through the Summer League and pre-season.  Based on the way he has progressed so far, it seems inevitable that both of these things will happen, and he will become a good secondary scorer when that does happen.

If you watched the game, you would understand why he was unable to record an assist.  I’ll just leave it at that since I already explained myself.

And I just vehemently disagree that seeing flashes out of a 19 year old that hasn’t even finished growing yet isn’t enough to be excited about.  He’s far ahead of where most people expected him to be at this point and is improving with each passing day.

I don’t expect him to put up 20-5-5 this year or anything ridiculous like that, but given starter’s minutes, a line of something like 14-6-3 or 4 with a steal and a block is pretty realistic, and would be a huge step in the right direction for someone like him.

 

 

 

 

[machu46Participant]

Simply put, no, that cannot be said for any young NBA player.  I did not say "If his shots were falling, he could average 15-20 points a game".  Giannis can already shoot spotting up, and showed good form on those turnaround jumpers to indicate that he can make those shots.  The key for him is continuing to learn the time and place for each of his moves, and continuing to work on his shot-creating ability.  He’s already shown vast improvement in that department through the Summer League and pre-season.  Based on the way he has progressed so far, it seems inevitable that both of these things will happen, and he will become a good secondary scorer when that does happen.

If you watched the game, you would understand why he was unable to record an assist.  I’ll just leave it at that since I already explained myself.

And I just vehemently disagree that seeing flashes out of a 19 year old that hasn’t even finished growing yet isn’t enough to be excited about.  He’s far ahead of where most people expected him to be at this point and is improving with each passing day.

I don’t expect him to put up 20-5-5 this year or anything ridiculous like that, but given starter’s minutes, a line of something like 14-6-3 or 4 with a steal and a block is pretty realistic, and would be a huge step in the right direction for someone like him.

 

 

 

 

[tuck243Participant]

He’s older than Wiggins and Jabari Parker.  You know that right?  Both are further along than he is and around 6’9 with shoes on.  What I can’t seem to understand is why they don’t get the same love as him?

With that said, he has NOT shown any type of improvement from last year and really had a tough time this pre season.  No one that’s a reasonable basketball fan would put any weight into his scoring averages in Summer League.   I predict a slight increase in scoring, but that’s about it (and that will be only because of minutes not efficiency).  Nothing worth ranking him #88 in the league like ESPN just did.  There are more players that produced way more than he has.  Like I said, doing a step back and not hitting it doesn’t mean he will hit it one day…   This is almost like when ppl were in pupply love with Thon Maker.  I do agree that stats isn’t the biggest indicator to what a player is, but it IS a baseline to start at.   Nothing about Giannis makes me think he is remotely close to any of the guys you comparing him to.   All those guys were further along than he is as a scorer…  If anything, his ceiling is Iggy.  That’s not a bad player, but not a guy to write over 15+ threads about.  Let the kid play and produce.  Not every player reach their potential, especially the potential that other people have created for them.   He’s VERY raw.  

And what does this mean?

"He had a few nice pull-ups off the pick and roll and a couple of nice spinning jump-shots. They didn’t fall in this particular game, but if he continues to progress the way he has so far, making those shots will make things a lot easier for him. He’s already a terror in transition, a crafty finisher around the rim, and an okay spot-up shooter. Those shots off the dribble that he displayed against Cleveland and simply getting more experience are all he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer."

ALL he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer…  Basically saying if he can hit those shots he will be a 15-20 point scorer…   You know what?  So will I…  

 

  

[tuck243Participant]

He’s older than Wiggins and Jabari Parker.  You know that right?  Both are further along than he is and around 6’9 with shoes on.  What I can’t seem to understand is why they don’t get the same love as him?

With that said, he has NOT shown any type of improvement from last year and really had a tough time this pre season.  No one that’s a reasonable basketball fan would put any weight into his scoring averages in Summer League.   I predict a slight increase in scoring, but that’s about it (and that will be only because of minutes not efficiency).  Nothing worth ranking him #88 in the league like ESPN just did.  There are more players that produced way more than he has.  Like I said, doing a step back and not hitting it doesn’t mean he will hit it one day…   This is almost like when ppl were in pupply love with Thon Maker.  I do agree that stats isn’t the biggest indicator to what a player is, but it IS a baseline to start at.   Nothing about Giannis makes me think he is remotely close to any of the guys you comparing him to.   All those guys were further along than he is as a scorer…  If anything, his ceiling is Iggy.  That’s not a bad player, but not a guy to write over 15+ threads about.  Let the kid play and produce.  Not every player reach their potential, especially the potential that other people have created for them.   He’s VERY raw.  

And what does this mean?

"He had a few nice pull-ups off the pick and roll and a couple of nice spinning jump-shots. They didn’t fall in this particular game, but if he continues to progress the way he has so far, making those shots will make things a lot easier for him. He’s already a terror in transition, a crafty finisher around the rim, and an okay spot-up shooter. Those shots off the dribble that he displayed against Cleveland and simply getting more experience are all he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer."

ALL he really needs to become a 15-20 point scorer…  Basically saying if he can hit those shots he will be a 15-20 point scorer…   You know what?  So will I…  

 

  

[machu46Participant]

1. What rock are you living under where Wiggins and Jabari aren’t getting nearly the love that Giannis is?

2. What players have I compared Giannis to?  You’re the only person making comparisons…

3. He has absolutely shown improvement in many aspects of the game, which I detailed in my posts.

4. I never once said that he must have improved because he averaged a lot of points in Summer League…

5. I’ve already explained the bottom part to you, so I’m not going to bother continuing to speak to a wall.

Who are you even arguing with?  With the exception of one thing I’ve said that I already explained to you, almost all of the points you’re making are an attempt to counter arguments that I haven’t even made.

At the end of the day, I like Giannis and see the gobs of potential and the progress that he’s made.  You don’t.  That’s fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[machu46Participant]

1. What rock are you living under where Wiggins and Jabari aren’t getting nearly the love that Giannis is?

2. What players have I compared Giannis to?  You’re the only person making comparisons…

3. He has absolutely shown improvement in many aspects of the game, which I detailed in my posts.

4. I never once said that he must have improved because he averaged a lot of points in Summer League…

5. I’ve already explained the bottom part to you, so I’m not going to bother continuing to speak to a wall.

Who are you even arguing with?  With the exception of one thing I’ve said that I already explained to you, almost all of the points you’re making are an attempt to counter arguments that I haven’t even made.

At the end of the day, I like Giannis and see the gobs of potential and the progress that he’s made.  You don’t.  That’s fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JCliff24Participant]

I remember the first time I saw Giannis play. He reminds me of a poor mans Durant combined with a poor mans lebron all resulting in a young man who is VERY exciting to watch with unlimited potential. Reading/listening to his interviews he seems very humble, and driven to provide for his family, He has a deep "WHY" to succeed in this league. If there was money to bet, I foresee a slow steady climb to the top of the league, especially because he wont be outshined/have a lack of playing time in Milwaukee.

[JCliff24Participant]

I remember the first time I saw Giannis play. He reminds me of a poor mans Durant combined with a poor mans lebron all resulting in a young man who is VERY exciting to watch with unlimited potential. Reading/listening to his interviews he seems very humble, and driven to provide for his family, He has a deep "WHY" to succeed in this league. If there was money to bet, I foresee a slow steady climb to the top of the league, especially because he wont be outshined/have a lack of playing time in Milwaukee.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 And I am excited, but I worry the hype train may get out of control a little too early for him, as he is still only a teenager who didn’t get serious about basketball until relatively late in life.  He is surviving mostly off of talent right now, as he still doesn’t really know how to play half court basketball.  When he played PG against Cleveland, he struggled, since he would just enter the ball to Zaza, set a screen and then run to the corner, never to be heard from again.  Against Chicago, he led a small comeback while at PG because he was able to push the tempo.

In the open court he is deadly.  He makes some absolutely fantastic passes in transition – he had a great look away hockey assist against Cleveland in transition, which is becoming a regular thing for him – and he is really hard to stop from getting to the rim when he has a head of steam, especially due to his use of Manu Ginobili/James Harden style step-throughs, which look downright comical given how long his legs are.  In the half court, he has more issues getting to the rim without a designed play since his high center of gravity limits him.

Giannis does have one elite skill: Defending in transition.  Against Chicago, he blew up consecutive Bulls’ fast breaks with numbers advantages, rejecting Taj Gibson at the rim and then intimidating Gibson into not shooting on the next possession and bodying him up, forcing him to pass the ball.  He was actually in the top-10 in the NBA last season in forcing low opponent’s FG% at the rim.  This is why I think he will eventually be a really good defender.  Right now he struggles to fight through screens and is susceptible to being back-cut, but those are common issues for young players that are exacerbated by his particular lack of age and experience.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 And I am excited, but I worry the hype train may get out of control a little too early for him, as he is still only a teenager who didn’t get serious about basketball until relatively late in life.  He is surviving mostly off of talent right now, as he still doesn’t really know how to play half court basketball.  When he played PG against Cleveland, he struggled, since he would just enter the ball to Zaza, set a screen and then run to the corner, never to be heard from again.  Against Chicago, he led a small comeback while at PG because he was able to push the tempo.

In the open court he is deadly.  He makes some absolutely fantastic passes in transition – he had a great look away hockey assist against Cleveland in transition, which is becoming a regular thing for him – and he is really hard to stop from getting to the rim when he has a head of steam, especially due to his use of Manu Ginobili/James Harden style step-throughs, which look downright comical given how long his legs are.  In the half court, he has more issues getting to the rim without a designed play since his high center of gravity limits him.

Giannis does have one elite skill: Defending in transition.  Against Chicago, he blew up consecutive Bulls’ fast breaks with numbers advantages, rejecting Taj Gibson at the rim and then intimidating Gibson into not shooting on the next possession and bodying him up, forcing him to pass the ball.  He was actually in the top-10 in the NBA last season in forcing low opponent’s FG% at the rim.  This is why I think he will eventually be a really good defender.  Right now he struggles to fight through screens and is susceptible to being back-cut, but those are common issues for young players that are exacerbated by his particular lack of age and experience.

[HitsterParticipant]

 Wiggins and Parker are rightly regarded as top prospects, no-one has said that Giannis is better than them on here as far as I know. Giannis is also a very good prospect and is discussed a lot on here, okay if he is a cult hero on here so what. The thing that intrigues me and a lot of people on here is his upside and versatility, he is already playing 3 positions and at 6ft 10ins aprox could probably play as a stretch PF already in a smallball line up.

The word potential sums him up well, he didn’t have a breakout rookie year to challenge for ROY but he showed lots of glimpses to suggest he should have been drafted inside the top 10.

Paul George was a much higher rated prospect than Giannis in his draft year and went top 10 in a reasonably strong draft, the 2013 draft hasn’t been great yet so Giannis has stood out as a rough diamond even more. I think that Kawhi Leonard went around 15th in 2011 just like Giannis last year but Leonard was seen as a top 10 pick on most mocks that year.

 

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 Wiggins and Parker are rightly regarded as top prospects, no-one has said that Giannis is better than them on here as far as I know. Giannis is also a very good prospect and is discussed a lot on here, okay if he is a cult hero on here so what. The thing that intrigues me and a lot of people on here is his upside and versatility, he is already playing 3 positions and at 6ft 10ins aprox could probably play as a stretch PF already in a smallball line up.

The word potential sums him up well, he didn’t have a breakout rookie year to challenge for ROY but he showed lots of glimpses to suggest he should have been drafted inside the top 10.

Paul George was a much higher rated prospect than Giannis in his draft year and went top 10 in a reasonably strong draft, the 2013 draft hasn’t been great yet so Giannis has stood out as a rough diamond even more. I think that Kawhi Leonard went around 15th in 2011 just like Giannis last year but Leonard was seen as a top 10 pick on most mocks that year.

 

 

[tuck243Participant]

This is all off of potential and glimpes of "star" qualities.  That’s above a lot of good players that are better and have more potential than he has.   

[machu46Participant]

There’s definitely some guys below him that are currently better, but who below him has more potential?  Jabari should probably be ahead of him, and probably Wiggins too, but who else?  Nerlens Noel maybe?  Looking from 88-160, those are the only guys that I would say might have better potential, and Nerlens is probably a tough call.  I’d probably say Giannis has more potential, but that Noel is more likely to reach his potential than Giannis.

I think this list is supposed to be projecting how they’ll do this year anyways.  A lot of people expect Giannis to make the jump ahead of guys like JJ Redick and Dion Waiters (just two of the guys that are barely below him).  Same reason Kobe is down at like 40.  People expect him to get leapfrogged this year.

 

[machu46Participant]

There’s definitely some guys below him that are currently better, but who below him has more potential?  Jabari should probably be ahead of him, and probably Wiggins too, but who else?  Nerlens Noel maybe?  Looking from 88-160, those are the only guys that I would say might have better potential, and Nerlens is probably a tough call.  I’d probably say Giannis has more potential, but that Noel is more likely to reach his potential than Giannis.

I think this list is supposed to be projecting how they’ll do this year anyways.  A lot of people expect Giannis to make the jump ahead of guys like JJ Redick and Dion Waiters (just two of the guys that are barely below him).  Same reason Kobe is down at like 40.  People expect him to get leapfrogged this year.

 

[tuck243Participant]

This is all off of potential and glimpes of "star" qualities.  That’s above a lot of good players that are better and have more potential than he has.   

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