'I'll be a beast out there': Giannis Antetokounmpo putting up big numbers, but just getting started

Matt Velazquez | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

With statistics like the ones Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up, it seems like nitpicking to say the 23-year-old Greek Freak isn't playing well.

Through three games heading into Wednesday's 8:30 p.m. nationally televised clash with the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum, Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.3 points, a league-leading 16.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 blocks. Those points, rebounds and assists numbers may be part of a small sample, but if they held they'd represent new career highs for the two-time all-star.

However, Antetokounmpo freely admits he has yet to fully get comfortable on offense. The New York Knicks battled him physically for most of Monday night, keeping Anteokounmpo to 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting through the first three quarters before he wrested control with 16 points in the fourth quarter.

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Three games into the season, Antetokounmpo has as many turnovers (17) as assists, a good chunk of them coming on offensive fouls as he's barreled into the paint trying to get to the rim. The three-point shot he worked so diligently on over the summer missed the mark on his first 11 tries before a clutch swish with 6 minutes, 5 seconds remaining in Monday's win over the Knicks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is prepared to improve this season At the Milwaukee Bucks media day Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke about his commitment to improving.

An efficiency monster over his past two all-star seasons – Antetokounmpo had the 10th-best player efficiency rating in 2016-'17 and ranked fifth last season – Antetokounmpo's turnovers and missed three-pointers have bogged down his rating so far.

While Antetokounmpo knows there's room to improve, he's also confident he'll make the requisite adjustments.

“It’s the third game of the season, new coach, new game plan," Antetokounmpo said. "I’m just trying to figure it out and I will. When I do it’s going to be so easy. I’ll be a beast out there.”

Though Antetokounmpo – like any player – has areas where he can get better, he's still carrying a heavy load on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he's the highest-usage player in the NBA over the first week of the season at 38.8%.

The Bucks are comfortable playing through him because his personal gravity and play-making ability create easy opportunities for his teammates. Surrounded by capable shooters virtually every time he steps on the court, Antetokounmpo has proven to be more than willing to spread the ball around instead of forcing too many of his own shots.

“I think Giannis is a smart player. He’s going to figure out a lot of things on his own. He doesn’t need my help," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

"I think as long as he continues to trust his teammates, continue to play with the pass, make good reads and make good decisions, he’s going to be great. The ball is in his hands a lot, he’s in attack mode a lot and I think he is playing with the pass really at a pretty high rate. I want him to be perfect, so either that’s his curse or whatever you want to call it.”

Antetokounmpo as a play-maker is nothing new. He's been the focal point of Milwaukee's offense for years.

However, the skill level of the players around him has grown. Also, the pieces have been moved around into better positions in Budenholzer's scheme, making decision-making for everyone, including Antetokounmpo, easier.

“I think he was already starting to show that quality, even under (Jason) Kidd," Knicks coach David Fizdale said when asked about Antetokounmpo's willingness to pass. "Obviously Budenholzer has taken him to another level from a ball-movement standpoint. He’s gotten him to understand the critical importance of the best player being the guy who shares the game with his team. You can tell he has really taken that to heart.”

Though Antetokounmpo's offense draws the most eyeballs, it's his defensive presence that has meant the most to the Bucks over the season's opening week.

In the 40 minutes he's been off the floor, Milwaukee actually has a higher offensive rating (122.0 points per 100 possession) than the 104 minutes he's played (119.7).

Defensively, though, the Bucks fall apart without their star. Opposing teams get more offensive rebounds and shoot a higher percentage with Antetokounmpo off the floor, putting up a 125.0 offensive rating, compared to just 103.3 when Antetokounmpo plays.

So while Antetokounmpo continues to seek efficiency and perfection on offense – a scary thought for opposing teams, to be sure – he's already more than holding his own on defense. If he can put both together, in the words of Budenholzer, "Wow."

“I do think if he kind of wreaks the same havoc defensively that he does offensively then that’s when you’re like, ‘Wow,’ " Budenholzer said. "He has the ability to play with such a force because of his length and athleticism and all of that. At some point, there’s only so much fuel in his engine, too. He’s got to figure out how to do all that stuff.”