Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the three or four best players in the NBA, depending on who you talk to about him.
He’s a two time MVP and took his team to the Eastern Conference Finals last year before falling short against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Still, he had one of the most dominant seasons we’ve ever seen — period.
Yet, it doesn’t feel like he’s been talked about quite enough this year.
Think about it. The top story lines in the NBA this year have been how the Nets look, how up and down Steph Curry and the Warriors have been and where James Harden is going to be playing in March.
The two-time MVP has fallen way down on the list of things that people care about. But he hasn’t been any less dominant.
He’s averaging 26.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists on 58% shooting in just under 32 minutes per game. He’s got a player efficiency rating of 28.1, which is really good. He scored 30 points in a single half on Monday night against the Pistons on his way to 43 points for the game.
Giannis goes for season-high! 🦌@Giannis_An34's 43 PTS on 17-24 shooting propels the @Bucks! #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/1Rxq5iz28M
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
He made history in doing that. He had his sixth game of scoring 40 points on 70% shooting, per ESPN. That trails only Kevin Durant, who has eight.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 43 pts on 17-24 shooting vs the Pistons tonight.
It's his 6th career game with 40 pts on 70% FG, 2nd-most among active players, trailing only Kevin Durant (8). He broke a tie for 2nd with Anthony Davis, James Harden, and LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/HLCcKnG2Ra
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 5, 2021
It’s easy to understand why Antetokounmpo isn’t the most popular subject to talk about right now.
First, the Bucks are only 4-3. They’ve got a new squad highlighted by the addition of Jrue Holiday and they’re having to learn each other. There have been some bumps in the road early on this season so far.
On top of that, let’s be honest. The Bucks have fallen short on championship expectations two seasons in a row now. Antetokounmpo was the guy for those two seasons. Now he’s less shiny and new. It’s all about what he does in June now — not about how he’s playing in December.
But still, what he’s doing is extremely impressive. He’s become one of those players who make history on a nightly basis with his play and that’s incredible to think about.
Hopefully for the Bucks this year, it finally results in some postseason success.
