This kid DOES have Durant's potential. People gotta remember Durant is on top of the world right now but it took him a few years to develop as well. Durant put up points as a rookie but he was raw, had a pretty bad shot selection and without looking at stats I remember his FG% being not too good. The way Gianni's looks out there compared to other players you can tell he's on another level already ... I have zero doubt he'll be a superstar in a few years. Its quite clear He's oozing god given physical attributes and talent. Hard work and experience will take him to the top.
Durant was only a few months older than Giannis as a rookie though, and he was putting up 20+ ppg his rookie year, after dominating College Basketball as an 18-year-old Freshman. He then averaged 25+ on .476/.422/.863 shooting as a 20-year-old. I don't disagree that the kid possesses all of the physical tools that a young Durant had (actually he's probably superior in that regard), but he's got absolutely none of the polish that KD had at the same age. Durant at the same age had an enormous head-start in terms of skill development, and you'd have a hard time convincing me that Giannis' work ethic is so superior to Kevin's that he'll be able to realistically close that gap, especially considering the fact that Durant's demonstrating this year that he's still improving. That said, if Giannis can turn himself into a hybrid Rudy Gay/Andrei Kirilenko type player, he's certainly a future all-star. But superstar (i.e., top-10 player)? I'd probably give that 30-1 odds. A rich man's Gerald Wallace, or maybe a modern day Bobby Jones, seems more likely to me. Which would make him a damn good player, maybe even a hall-of-famer. But not a Durant. Don't get me wrong though, he's a VERY exciting young player. But like all very young players with elite physical tools and a bit of polish, I think a lot of people are getting what I call a "prospect boner", leading to unrealistic expectations.
After all those seasons being mired in mediocrity with their management making short-term “win-now” moves, the Bucks really have something fun to watch now with this kid. They could really be building something exciting with him plus a top 3 pick out of the draft this season. Oh and his family’s excitement from watching him play in the NBA for the first time was pure awesomeness. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jBZfHHhV36k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
^ Simply awesome, every story about this kid makes me happy. Also, I love that he had no problem playing for the Bucks unlike some other foreign baller...
Let's play a game... The year this player was drafted, the first (successful) modern era NBA super-team was assembled edit: another hint -> Spoiler This player was 19 when he was drafted...or was he 22?
Another hint: Spoiler In order to convince him to sign with the Bucks, the owner had to travel overseas to personally appeal to this player and his representatives. Final (obvious) hint: Spoiler When this player played against the Rockets for the first time, more people watched than any Superbowl in history. Edit: gamBINGO and Stone Cold got it, lol
Oh, hehe. That's a name I haven't heard or read in a few years. I see he's the reigning CBA MVP. Good for him.
Kid may now possess the fastest baseline to baseline in the game. Oh how the cavs have boned those high draft picks..... They could've been looking at Irving-Bet-Drummond, with a ton of cap space, but instead are looking at the possibility of none of their picks on the team soon.... Really wish Morey could strike a deal to pull him away, his O is a huge project, but his D and athleticism are so insane.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, some highlight reel defensive plays don't equate to true defensive prowess. The future is bright and the sky is the limit, but take everything with a grain of salt.
I don't put stock into highlights, that's y they are 'high' lights. But he has a knack for the ball, you can tell that from any game. His offense is not good, he's fast, quick and long, and that's 70% of the battle on D. Still think that's all the Rox need, a good defender, and his other skills are just a plus. He's not even close to a max type player, maybe he'll be close in 3 years, but his athleticism is second to few.
