The Top 10 Small Forwards in the NBA
By Tom Atkinson
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Age: 21
2015-16 Per Game Averages: 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.4 blocks
Career Per Game Averages: 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1 steal, 1.1 blocks
The Greek Freak. Yeah.
The only reason Giannis Antetokounmpo is this low is because we literally, LITERALLY, don’t know what his best position is. So far in his career, the 6’11” 21-year-old has split his time between the point and small forward, in a Tyreke Evans-like manner, and he plays the role of the primary playmaker for the Bucks on offense.
Antetokounmpo’s game has seen steady improvement since he came into the league as an incredibly enthusiastic 19-year-old. The Greek Freak put up career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals per game in the 2015-16 season and began to put up triple-doubles with ease, thanks to his all-around game and length.
He has shown and continues to show the promise to rise into superstardom. A 6’11” SF/PG who can shoot over .500 from the field is going to be one of the best no matter where he plays.
“From Feb. 22 to March 15, he averaged a staggering 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. Perhaps most impressively, he turned the ball over just 2.8 times per contest despite shouldering so much responsibility on the offensive end,” Bleacher Report’s Adam Fromal said.
“When he’s leading a break, Antetokounmpo looks like a gazelle wearing a jetpack, galloping past two, sometimes three defenders before making an intrinsic read on the defense,” Jake Fischer wrote for Sports Illustrated.
With a unique blend of size, athleticism, ball-handling and work ethic, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the potential to become the best player in the NBA and, at 21 years old, he is well on his way. Either as a point forward or a point guard, Antetokounmpo has the potential to reach towards averaging a triple-double and, as the former, he is already a top-10 small forward in the NBA.
Next: No. 6