Giannis Antetokounmpo having top-notch handles like Stephen Curry is a thought that would scare even the brawniest defenses in the league. On his newly launched ‘7PM in Brooklyn‘ podcast, Carmelo Anthony wondered about the possibility but even he knows that the Greek Freak can’t “be perfect”. This discussion came up when co-host Kid Mero pointed out that there is a narrative that Antetokounmpo “got no bag”.
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He sought Melo’s opinion on how the athletic forward is just a “run and dunk” player. However, Anthony disagreed stating that regardless of everything, Giannis had already won a championship and had achieved enviable success,
“If he [Giannis Antetokounmpo] had a handle, you know what I mean, we can’t give him everything,” opined the 2013 scoring champion.
He acknowledged that despite having “no handles”, he brings something “unmatched” to the game. Anthony compared him to the former electric dunker David Robinson and called the Admiral, one of the best players ever. Apart from that, Anthony referred to the 2021 NBA Finals MVP as a “student of the game” and how he has picked the brains of the greatest players.
“I’mma[Giannis] have a mindset like Kobe, I want the Mamba mentality. I want the power and strength to run fast and jump high and dunk like LeBron. I don’t have the post game yet but I want to be dominant on post just like Shaq or Dwight Howard,” expressed Melo, acknowledging the importance of learning, even when one plays at the highest level in the league.
To his credit, Giannis Antetokounmpo strives hard to achieve these qualities. He has become an all-around contributor and his assist count has been higher than five per game for most seasons lately, as compared to his numbers initially. He is willing to become a better shooter and although Antetokounmpo doesn’t hit a three every game, he attempts 1.7 three pointers per game.
The Bucks Superstar is already an incredible player. He can start a dunk from around half-court. He handles the ball well in open-court situations and can make a huge difference as a rebounder. If he adds high-quality dribbling, no doubt he can be another addition to the GOAT debate of the NBA. But does he need to when he is already a perpetual MVP candidate?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another MVP-caliber season
After leading the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, he has continued from where he left off. Till now, the forward has captured 30.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 60.4% shooting, and is currently third on the NBA’s Kia Race to the MVP ladder.
Giannis has helped the Bucks to 22 wins and seven losses at the time of writing, just a half-game away from the table-topper Boston Celtics. Considering their current seven-game winning streak, they can eclipse the Celts soon.
The Bucks are appearing more lethal this season due to the addition of Damian Lillard. The guard does a terrific job of covering up the Greek Freak’s lack of handles and shooting. To bring him via trade, the team parted ways with their 2021 champion two-way guard Jrue Holiday. So far, the move seems to have paid off.
