Giannis is not a Superstar

I know it sounds harsh, but the fact of the matter is Giannis Antetokounmpo is not superstar in its TRUEST sense in the NBA. He’s not who people think he is, not yet anyway.

If you are a person that religiously follows the league, it’s evident to see that there are significant holes in Giannis’ game that place him in a tier below the LeBrons, Kawhis and healthy Durants of this world.

Throughout the season there were many people claiming Giannis was the best player in the world, but the truth is Giannis isn’t close to being that guy yet. For basketball purists, it should be worrying that such claims are thrown around without any real evidence of the fact.

To this day, Giannis has NEVER shown he can carry a team WHEN IT MATTERS MOST. Let me repeat that, NEVER. When it’s time to put the team on your back and take them to the next level, his game is simply not evolved enough to do so.

Now I know what you’re going to say “But Giannis is only 25, he has time” and despite that being true, Giannis has shown little to no improvement whatsoever in the past 4 season of averaging over 20ppg in areas of his game that he desperately needs to take him to the very top of the NBA’s elite.

I know what else you’re going to say “But he needs a better supporting cast”, and despite that having SOME truth to it, how quickly the world forgets just how HISTORICALLY great this Bucks team was this season.

The Bucks were the quickest team in NBA HISTORY to make the playoffs this season. They started the season 27-4 (read that again, 27-4). They were the highest ranked team in the ENTIRE LEAGUE on offense and defense. They had two all stars. They had the leading 3-point shooter in the league in George Hill. They had an All-NBA defender in Brook Lopez. They had one of the best coaches in the league. They were one of the deepest teams in the league. They had the best overall record in the league.

Don’t believe me? Type in “Milwaukee Bucks best team ever” into Google and read. Debate shows, TV segments, podcasts and articles were all discussing whether or not this Bucks team was the greatest team of all time. Let that sink in.

And when it mattered most, their leader’s inabilities on the floor failed them. What people don’t understand, is although Giannis’ teammates fail to perform when the stakes are high a lot of the time, the reason why is down to Giannis’ inability to provide for them, to lift them, to put them in a position to be successful. It’s on him.

Another season, another underwhelming series that turns into a premature elimination for Giannis when a team has the personnel and game plan for him. The bizarre thing is the game plan is simple, clog the lane, build a wall and don’t let him get to the rim. And it really is THAT simple.

People laughed and made fun of James Harden when he claimed it takes no real skill to do what Giannis does by just running and dunking, but when you really think about it, was he wrong?

I would go one further and make the case Giannis is a MUCH GREATER defensive player than he is an offensive player despite having nice offensive numbers in the regular season. His jumpshot is abysmal, he has no mid range game, he’s an average facilitator, he has no post game for someone his size, he has no true playmaking ability for someone his size, if he’s not trying to bully people to the rim he’s in foul trouble for offensive fouls, nearly all his points come in transition, he’s a terrible free throw shooter, and worst of all, Giannis can’t even handle the ball and make plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter of playoff games. How are you supposed to be a superstar when you can’t even handle the ball when it matters most, when your team can’t put the ball in your hands and tell you to win the game for them.

For the Bucks to go out the way they did is simply UNACCEPTABLE. They are the first number one seed in NBA History to go down 0-3 in a playoff series to a number 5 seed, EVER. The craziest part is their only win was when Giannis left the game early with an ankle injury and Kris Middleton had the best game of his life and the offense actually flowed. I’m not saying the Bucks are better without Giannis, but if a superstar and your best player goes down, more times than not you shouldn’t be winning a playoff game. This was their year. Interrupted season or not, the manner in which they lost was unacceptable.

In that series, Jimmy Butler looked 10 times the player Giannis looked. In most people’s player rankings, Butler and Giannis wouldn’t even be close to one another, but when it mattered most, Butler took the challenge and took his team to another level.

When Giannis was asked why he wasn’t guarding Butler he said “Because the coach didn’t ask me to” as the DPOY and the best defender on your team ARE YOU KIDDING ME? When the media asked Mike Budenholzer why Giannis wasn’t playing heavy minutes despite resting him during the season for these moments he said “34-35 minutes is his ceiling” ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The one time Giannis took the challenge to actually guard Butler he fouled him on the game winning shot that sent Butler to the free throw line to win Game 2.

All signs points to Giannis taking home his second MVP trophy, but from what we’ve seen you can make the case Giannis could be the worst back-to-back MVP in league history.

I do not care about Giannis throwing down a dunk on the entire New York Knicks on a Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Show me you are one of the very best in the world when it matters most. When your team needs you the most. When the lights are the brightest, and teams try to take away everything you’re great at. Show me then. The MVP award means absolutely nothing if you can’t show me then.

He still has time, but as of right now Giannis is NOT a TRUE superstar in the NBA.

And it’s about time we start holding him to that same standard.