This season hasn’t exactly gone as planned for the Milwaukee Bucks, but one pleasant side effect of the team’s poor record is that head coach Jason Kidd has had more flexibility to test out some unique lineups to try and find the right balance.
One result of that has been playing third-year pro Giannis Antetokounmpo, who stands 6’11, at point guard. The Greek Freak’s production has soared since the change; he’s averaging 18.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 22 games as the Bucks’ lead floor general.
Antetokounmpo was already one of the most exciting young players in the league due to his freakish athleticism (seriously, he might have seven or eight of the most jaw-dropping plays in the NBA this season) but a full-time switch to point guard has finally allowed his performance to match his mouth-watering natural ability. He has become a triple-double machine, averaging one every five games since taking the reins of Milwaukee’s offense.
All that said, Kidd’s announcement that he’d be sticking with Antetokounmpo at point guard heading into the 2016-17 season should be no surprise.
Bucks coach Jason Kidd said Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the team's point guard heading into next season.
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) March 29, 2016
Antetokounompo’s primary competition for that spot is Michael Carter-Williams, and although Carter-Williams said on Monday that he saw a “future role” for himself with the Bucks, the team may not agree. Carter-Williams has had a disappointing year, dealing with injuries and inconsistent play before getting surgery on March 10th to repair a torn labrum that ended his season.
If the Bucks do hang on to Carter-Williams though (they would have to trade him as he has one more year left on his rookie contract), it will initially be as a backup, as Kidd made it clear that Antetokounmpo will be the starter going forward.
Playing the Greek Freak at the point is certainly unconventional, and while his stats have greatly improved since he took over that role, the Bucks have gone just 10-12 in that timeframe. Still, it appears point guard is the NBA position that most suits Antetokounmpo’s unique skill set, and Milwaukee has reacted accordingly by giving him keys to the car for a full 82-game season.
