Getty Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, at right
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on top of the basketball world.
Before the NBA’s corona virus hiatus, The Greek Freak was having a career year with averages of 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 asssts, 1 block and 1 steal per contest.
That’s big!
The NBA’s MVP has been living his best life. In a recent column by CBS’s Colin Ward-Henninger, I learned that Antetokounmpo is the only NBA player to have a 20-point, 12-rebound, six-assist game on the second Tuesday of January since Pooh Richardson did it in 1992.
That’s informative and specifically stats rich.
Ward-Henninger also noted that it is rare that players significantly improve upon MVP seasons. For those keeping score at home, Giannis has career averages of 20 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks.
This season he’s averaging aboove his career in points, but he also increased his rebounding average this season, which puts him in the same conversation of the Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
In their game against the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of weeks ago, The Greek Freak suffered a minor joint capsule sprain which had him missing a short amount of time. “No big damage,” Bucks President Peter Feigin told Zach Gelb on his Zach Gelb Show on CBS Radio.
“He’s recovering. Good days to take some rest. He’s doing well.”
The Greek Freak and the Bucks like the rest of the NBA are hoping the NBA season resumes post coronavirus outbreak.
“We expect him to be back soon,” Feigin told Gelb.
Apparently, Giannis has been feisty and working hard in the gym to the point where the Bucks actually want him to slow down. “No question about it,” Feigin told Gelb.
“The interesting thing with Giannis is it’s, like, impossible to keep him off the court. Our biggest complaint is not internally; it’s to basically fight him to take the time to heal.
Many believe The Greek Freak has the opportunity to become the NBA’s Most Valuable Player yet again this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is also in that MVP conversation.
Just this week, former Milwaukeee Bucks big man Larry Sanders marveled at how close that race is. “I love Giannis and I think that he’s got a long list of MVP’s coming up,” Sanders told the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“And a long list of accolades coming up and a whole lot of records to break. He’s mad young dog, he’s got like fifteen years [laughs]. So it’s like LeBron is in a little different position. He just continues to lead and do his thing man, and shine and also do a lot more. I think he should get it.”
The NBA Playoffs are where things really matter and the Bucks are ready. “We feel it,” Peter Feigin told CBS.
“We feel it every day. It’s part of the pressure. We love being in the upper-echelon of performance, and I think everybody is acutely aware that really the playoffs are what makes or breaks you.”