Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker = Future Superstars

[Milbuck]

Future superstars. Top 10 players, potentially top 5. Both of them. Ever since we picked up Jabari, I thought we were 1 core piece away, someone like a Mudiay or a Jahlil Okafor from next year's draft away from being a championship-level core down the road..these two kids are proving me wrong. I honestly think we just need to build around these two a la Durant/Westbrook, and give them some semblance of a decent 3rd option, like Ibaka. The potential is unreal with these two.

Giannis has visibly been the highest impact player on the team, and it showed most last night. Anyone who doesn't just read through box scores but actually watches the entirety of the games can attest to this. He started off the season slow, especially with Kidd making him (and Jabari) earn their minutes, playing vets over them. Lit a fire under his ass and now he's putting up 16/7/2/1/1 on 59% TS the past 6 games with terrific defense. The numbers don't stand out, but the skill set and non-quantifiable impact is incredible for a 19 year old. It's scary to me how much Giannis has reminded me of a young Pippen the past few games, but especially last game...his vision isn't manifesting itself into assists, but he was making some filthy (but smart) passes and our offense flows so much smoother when we're running it through him. He's adjusting to the height/weight he gained over the year and summer, and he's becoming more comfortable with his frame..dude is in constant attack mode to the point where defenders look visibly confused with what to do with him. He's still a bit erratic at times, but his handle and overall control when driving are rapidly improving day by day. PFs like Zbo are too slow to guard him, and traditional 3s are too short to control him. He's the epitome of a matchup nightmare. On defense he's starting to realize his potential more and more..absolutely locked up Joe Johnson in that 3rd OT, played some terrific defense on him all night aside from a few vintage Iso Joe clutch shots, and also is a nightmare as a help defender with his quickness and length...he looks like an elite, elite defender down the road. He's already the best perimeter defender on the team, and a big part of why we're so surprisingly good on defense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaUGQpo4Nb0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9inZUCtIx6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64qjhhlpCnY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp5peD8tuCU

Jabari is also improving rapidly game by game. Currently has the highest scoring game out of rookies with 23 last night...and this isn't the first game he's played this well. It's just the first time Kidd actually let him play big minutes when he's performing well. Game before last game...Jabari has 12 points on 6-8 FG in just 24 minutes, plays (surprisingly) solid defense, makes good decisions....Kidd benches him for close to the entire 4th. He doesn't just look like he belongs..he looks like he knows he belongs now, the confidence is growing. He's attacking more just like Giannis but instead using his weird combination of size/strength and finesse. He's also destroying that dumbass "tweener" label some people give him, showing that he's not just in between two positions, he can play both of them. Has the skillset and physical tools to play the 3, but also the strength and inside game to play the 4. I think this is going to be huge going forward, having 2 guys that are so vastly different skill-wise and physically, but both capable of playing both forward spots, the match up problems they can cause on a nightly basis is staggering. He's not the 20ppg player people somehow expected him to be right off the bat..but he's growing into it. He's looking like he's gonna be an elite offensive player in this game, I wouldn't be surprised if he's consistently putting up 17-19 ppg by the halfway point of the season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMO80QzYHJY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orrOk804-kE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT6NAHnvacY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lZPncbWH1c


These dudes were the best players on our side last night. Giannis with his all-around game, Jabari with his aggressive scoring mindset. I don't think this is just homerism, and I don't think last game was just a flash in the pan. They've been doing stuff like this all season in spurts, and last game they just put it together in a great win..which was almost ruined by the retardery that is Brandon Knight. I have no doubt that the Bucks will eventually disappoint me this season and go on a huge slide, eventually dropping out of the playoff picture...but if this is the type of stuff we have to look forward to, as in two 19 year olds playing like the leaders of this team with pretty solid vets on the roster, I'm ****ing psyched. I'm legitimately afraid to see what these two are gonna be like when they're in their primes/peaks, which is like 5-9 years from now.

tl;dr: Giannis and Jabari = the future. It'll take a while but I have zero doubt it will happen.

[beastee]

I can buy into one of them being top 10 for sure. I am thinking more along the lines of Parker is in the 8-12 range and Giannis would be around 13-18. He still needs to define his position, which may take a season or two to fully develop.

But the Bucks definitely have their two cornerstones, and when they are both over 6'8" that is a very impressive future. I still need more consistency from Parker, but it will come. Funny that Wiggins got all the hype, since Parker was always the better NBA star imo.

That team is one PG away from being really scary.

[Milbuck]

I can buy into one of them being top 10 for sure. I am thinking more along the lines of Parker is in the 8-12 range and Giannis would be around 13-18. He still needs to define his position, which may take a season or two to fully develop.

But the Bucks definitely have their two cornerstones, and when they are both over 6'8" that is a very impressive future. I still need more consistency from Parker, but it will come. Funny that Wiggins got all the hype, since Parker was always the better NBA star imo.

That team is one PG away from being really scary.

Yeah these next couple years are huge for their development..can't develop any bad habits, and Kidd is helping a lot with that with how hard he's preaching defense and unselfishness. Top 10 is very realistic imo.

And I see where you're coming from on Giannis needing a defined position..I think his position is SF, but he's in that KD mold where he can play the 4..the difference being Giannis has a bigger frame and is already putting on more muscle than KD at the same age. I think his transition between the two spots will get easier and easier. Same goes for Parker, except more like a slightly bigger Melo, still able to play both forward spots but in a different way.

And I don't wanna turn this into a Wiggins hatefest..but I agree. I think it's unfair that people just give Wiggins the "he's rawer than Parker, it'll take more time" treatment but put these unfair expectations on Jabari just because of his skill set, as if he's not also 19, inexperiences, and nowhere near his physical peak.

[Thorpesaurous]

This was one of my favorite teams coming into the season for this very reason. I love teams that are flexible and can do multiple things. Giannis and Parker really allow that to happen, and last night was my first chance to really see a complete game, and it looked great. When those guys line up as the two forwards, it allows for a ton of switching on defense, and makes them a nightmare to deal with.

And Giannis looks damn near unstoppable in the open court. The long strides seem to be able to get him shoulder up with anyone, and he's starting to finish at all sorts of odd angles.

[NugzFan]

Good timing: There are some openings on ish for some new mega homers.

[Pointguard]

The thing about Giannis that doesn't get talked about is how smart he is and how good his habits are. He keeps the ball moving, makes the right pass with great timing, is stronger than he looks, exploits his wing span and incredible strides better than anybody on his incredible team of guys with the same advantage. Already one of my favorite players to watch.

[IncarceratedBob]

Giannis still doesn't really even know how to play basketball. Not a knock on the kid bc he's still young and will learn the game. He's gonna be a special

[ArbitraryWater]

Giannis still doesn't really even know how to play basketball. Not a knock on the kid bc he's still young and will learn the game. He's gonna be a special

"Doesn't know how to play basketball" "He's gonna be special"

[YouGotServed]

very cute and adorable, milby.

[j3lademaster]

Omg, Glenn Robinson is such a good comparison to Jabari. Giannis will become a matchup nightmare. We all saw how competitive Giannis is when he went at KD last season. Still need to see them tested in the playoffs before claims of superstardom (maybe I'm stingy with that term), but a few all-star appearances are floors for these kids barring injury.

[russwest0]

I love Giannis as much (hell, probably more) than the next guy but I think people need to cool the expectations on him. At least for now. Yeah, he has the potential to be one of the best in the league but he has such a long way to go until then.

[BIZARRO]

Good timing for this thread as I've been meaning to post about Jabari for awhile and my impressions of him at the pro level.

Nobody in America has been a bigger supporter of my hometown guy Jabari than I have on here since early in his high school career. I remember going to the McDonald's All American game at the UC and coming away so impressed (and not with Wiggins at the time, compared to them saying next T-Mac, etc.), and posted as much and raved about Jabari.

I thought he looked very good, not great at Duke (compared to my expectations; stats were fine, I'm just talking the eye test), but was still excited (and still am) for his pro career.

That being said, I am concerned and have been since the first summer league game since he has been playing with fellow NBA players. I have watched every game, summer league, preseason, and regular season, and my concern is that he is, unfortunately, a bit of a tweener. Not that we didn't already know that, but not in the in a good way as I was hoping, and more than I thought he would be, and closer to what his critics were saying). Not in a terrible way as a tweener. But in a similar way to Beasley (also 6-7 without shoes) and Marcus Fizer (also listed 6-8, but shorter). I thought Jabari would look taller, but I always come off watching with the main impression that if he had 2 more inches, he would be off the charts. Like C-Webbs height. I mean with 2 extra inches, Top 5 material IMO. However, he isn't (and that isn't going to change) and I feel like he's always an inch or two away from a lot of rebounds, loose balls, shots over defenders, etc.. It's just so obvious when you watch him. While other wing players are his height and do just fine, he is not quick enough to be a wing, and too undersized to be a 4. Hence, the perfect definiton of a tweener. It's just a shame when I watch him because he is so skilled, has such a good feel around the hoop, etc., but just struggles due to his height against bigs, and lack of speed against 3's. The reason I was originally excited was I thought he could come in and mold a new type of player like (not close to though of course) Lebron, due to his skill and pretty good spring, but he doesn't have near the athleticism (and looks about an inch shorter), to turn form a tweener to a Lebron new mold freakish talent.

Anyway, enough negatives. Last night was the best he's looked. I mean in that first overtime, in crunch time. Best he's looked. Was aggressive, into it, all over the place as opposed to getting passive as he is prone to do. He shied away on a few possessions, but overall looked more confiednt than he's been. I think if I was Kidd, I would play him a little more at the 3, and only put him at the 4 with advantageous matchups and play it by ear. I think he's playing a little too much 4 than is good for him, and I'd also play him an extra 5 minutes a game. He really to me is a player who will thrive long term on extended minute like last night to learn the feel of the game and get more comfortable, allowing his leadership and intelligent intensity to thrive.

Also Brandon Knight is KILLING him, absolutely killing him. I swear Brandon Knight has an Isaiah/Jordan Rookie All Star game freeze going on Jabari. Total drag. Never EVER gets him the ball. Brandon Knight has all the stats this year, and they are winning due to their schedule. But he is so ball dominant, that it is stunting the growth of Jabari. Like Brandon Jennings 2.0. I wish they'd send Knight packing tomorrow as the extra 5 wins he might get you this year are hurting Jabari (and Giannis) long term. Knight will rack up points and assists because he has the ball so much, but makes poor decisions and is shoot first all the way. I swear, everytime Jabari is open and calls for the ball Knight looks the other way. Totally sucks as Jabari could be an 18 and 8 guy this year, but will wind up being a 12 and 7 guy. Mostly due to Knight.

What Jabari has going for him most is that he is a hard worker, has great spring, runs the floor fantastic, is well skilled. His J is overrated, but he has an actual post game unlike 90% of everybody else, and can still hit shots.
He is a TREMENDOUS kid and teammate. I feel that the lack of depth and maturity as a person that kills Beasley conversely will help Parker overcome his limitations to where 23 and 9 could be the ceiling. Not a bad ceiling. I think he may be a Top 10 player one day. Top 5, most likely not. He's just not "The Best Player Since Lebron" like SI once thought. With 2 more inches, he would be a bad***, but I guess there are very few players like MJ, Bron, T'Mac, etc. who have it all, so I should just appreciate Jabari for what he does have, which is pretty great. I was just hoping it would be greater. In some ways I have been proven wrong by his critics, in other ways not as Top 10 in the League maybe is nothing bad at all.
But all said, what a great kid. Says some heavy stuff if you ever listen to his interviews. On a personality level, ain't seen many deeper than him coming into the league.

As for Giannis, has all the physical tools in the world, just needs to learn how to play. In some ways he is the anti-Jabari.
Whenever I watch the Bucks, I just wish Jabari had Giannis's athleticism, frame, etc. Or that Giannis had Jabari's mind and skillset. That would be a SCARY player. Could be Top 10 one day, but I think it will be in the teens as a max.

I would be interested to hear what Milbuck has to say about Brandon Knight. I mean it is a bit controversial on my part to hate on him with their record, his stats, etc.. But I am not a fan of the WAY he is doing it. Shoot first point, not nearly unselfish enough and it's killing especially Jabari, as Jabari is the one who is almost ALWAYS in Knight's rotations. And Knight passes to Giannis, but for some reason not Jabari. Milbuck, would be interested to hear your thoughts on that, if you think Knight is hurting Jabari's growth.

[PsychoBe]

why does jabari seem to have a "doughey" frame to me. kind of like melo in the sense of he's always going to seem "filled out" even when he's not.

[TheMilkyBarKid]

Giannis has scary potential, he could end up being a Batum or a Pippen, or anwhere in between.
Haven't watched too much bucks this year, who fits better with these 2, sanders or henson?

[Smoke117]

Never stop believingz