As I have been trying to tell people for years, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most overrated player in the NBA since Russell Westbrook.
Let me explain:
Giannis has a very limited offensive game consisting of drive, eurostep, try to dunk, drive, spin, try to dunk, for about 80% of his arsenal. You cannot trust him from 3pt or FT line, especially late in games. Every possession, he essentially charges into people, but the NBA is looking to push foreign players like Giannis and Jokic as the face of the league, so not only do they not call the charges usually, it ends up being a foul on the defender.
Giannis does not close out games for the Bucks usually. Typically it is Middleton, or, this year in 2023 season, it is Jrue Holiday. Giannis is a very limited, flawed player, who makes up for a lot of it, by bringing 110% effort every. single. night. He is a 7ft Westbrook, minus the dumb turnovers.
Unfortunately, for some reason, Media like Shannon Sharpe, Nick Wright and those idiots, have been pushing the narrative he is not only a top 3 player (maybe they mean regular season?), but THE best player in the NBA, and that is simply not true.
Jimmy Butler exposed this. I keep getting told Giannis is this defender, but when someone torches the Bucks, Giannis is never guarding them. He plays free safety and gets 1 or 2 weakside help blocks a game, which is good, but as a primary on ball defender, Giannis isn’t exactly prime Kawhi Leonard.
The problem is, I think Giannis started to believe this narrative he IS the best player, and as such, does not feel he needs to improve on much, but we saw against the 8 seed, play-in Miami Heat, all his MANY flaws got exposed. A lot of them are in his head, when things get tough, Giannis gets scared and doubts himself. When he is confident and comfortable, he can go 17 for 19 from FT; when he is nervous and shaky, he goes 10 for 23, 43% from FT.
The NBA even tried to help the Bucks win – most of Butler’s starters fouled out, the entire Heat team shot 17 FTs, the Bucks shot…45 FTs…Giannis shot 23 FTs, by himself more than the entire Heat team…and still managed to lose.
It is time we stop this false narrative Giannis is a top 3 player, especially when KD, Curry, healthy Lebron, heck, probably even Embiid, Jokic or Luka, would not be relegated late in games to setting screens and doing dribble handoffs in the clutch like Rudy Gobert. Most of all, you can tell, he just did not want the basketball.
Giannis is a fantastic player, I’d say around top 6ish even, but if we are calling him a top 3 player, or even THE best player somehow, then he is THE most overrated player in the NBA and it’s not even close.
He is in the right system, with the right coach (regular season); put Giannis on Portland, or the Mavs or teams like that instead of Dame and Luka, Giannis does not elevate those teams, at least by any significant margin. Now, put Dame or Luka on the Bucks instead of Giannis, or KD on The Bucks, you think this same thing happens? No. They would not run from the moment, they would not be a liability to their team late in games.
It is time we push back against #TheGiannisAgenda and I will drop more articles exposing this agenda, people are starting to wake up to the media pushing this narrative, and for that, I would like to thank Giannis for showing his true colors. Stay tuned for more.
Leave a Reply