Saturday NBA Roundup: There Is No Doubting Giannis Antetokounmpo as a Superstar

Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been a nuisance as far as the Chicago Bulls are concerned.

A year-and-a-half ago, he was ejected from the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 6 blowout playoff loss for tackling Mike Dunleavy into the courtside seats.

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Since then, the Greek Freak has morphed into a different type of terror—not just for the Bulls, but for the NBA at large.

Antetokounmpo pulverized the Bulls in every which way during the Bucks’ 116-96 blowout win at the United Center on New Year’s Eve. There was the usual array of awe-inspiring slams, including one impossible alley-oop finish early in the third quarter:

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He got in on the act from outside, draining a three-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer and cut Milwaukee’s deficit to two points.

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On the other end, Antetokounmpo gave the Bulls nightmares around the rim. He racked up a career-high seven blocks—five in the first half—and picked off a pair of passes.

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By the time head coach Jason Kidd subbed him out for Steve Novak at the end of the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo had stuffed the stat sheet like Mr. Creosote, to the tune of 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting (8-of-11 from the free-throw line), nine rebounds and seven assists.

That was the latest in a slew of spectacular performances from Antetokounmpo at Chicago’s expense. During a back-to-back against the Bulls in mid-December, he piled up a collective 52 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists, six steals and two blocks. The Bucks won those games by a combined 37 points.

Antetokounmpo’s all-around skill set and the gaudy numbers it produces is but one reason his name—tongue twister though it is for some—belongs in a breath with the NBA’s best. He’s the only player in the league who can be found among the top 25 in all five major statistical categories.

His ability to affect (if not dominate) the game in every way has been key to the Bucks’ ability to (16-16) hang around the Eastern Conference playoff picture, despite losing Khris Middleton to a hamstring injury before the season and sacrificing their depth at point guard to shore up the wing.

He hasn’t done it alone, however. Antetokounmpo’s gotten plenty of help from Jabari Parker. The former No. 2 pick poured in 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field in his hometown Saturday.

Once plagued by an ACL tear suffered during his rookie season, Parker has emerged as a bona fide 20-point-per-game scorer (20.5 this season, to be exact)—with plenty of his own bounce—to serve as Antetokounmpo’s sidekick.

Malcolm Brogdon of the Bucks is the first rookie with a triple-double since Elfrid Payton had one March 20, 2015.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1, 2017

Where once the Bucks snagged Antetokounmpo out of the rough as the No. 15 pick in 2013, they may have excavated another diamond during the 2016 draft: Malcolm Brogdon became the first rookie with a triple-double in nearly two years with his 15 points, 11 boards and 12 assists against the Bulls. The more on-ball duties (and ice baths) the 24-year-old Virginia grad can handle, the more Antetokounmpo can strike fear into his opponents’ hearts with sharp cuts and high-flying finishes.

Record your first Triple Double…we got an ICE BATH for you Malcolm Brogdon!! #OwnTheFuture pic.twitter.com/V54qe66o3W

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 1, 2017

Throw in Greg Monroe (15 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL) as a fulcrum off the bench, and Milwaukee has the makings of a potential threat to one of the East’s top teams come playoff time.

That will do more to determine Antetokounmpo’s standing among his peers than any regular-season explosion could. Superstars may be born during the grind of an 82-game campaign, but only the pressure of postseason competition can forge them into faces of the sport.

Antetokounmpo has the talent to get there. At 22, he seems to have plenty of time to climb even higher. And with the right young studs around him, he could lead the Bucks to their most astounding heights since at least the halcyon days of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell.

At 16-16, Milwaukee is in a virtual tie for sixth place in the East. If …

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