Giannis Antetokounmpo Poised To Take Throne From LeBron James

If there’s one player who can challenge LeBron James as the Best Player In the East, it’s budding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

LeBron James is still the best player in the Eastern Conference, and–through Wine & Gold glasses–the entire NBA. At 32, James has the Cavs gunning for a second-straight NBA title and possibly his fifth MVP?

But looking three or four years down the road, if there were one player to bump the King off is throne as the best player in the East, it’d be budding Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greak Freak didn’t make the sudden impact James did as an 18-year-old, but comparing the two in their fourth pro seasons is astonishing.

Antetokounmpo in year four: 23.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 28.90 PER

James in year four: 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 24.56 PER

Some are currently asking if the Greak Freak is already better than present-day LeBron.

In WARP, a metric used to measure Wins Above Replacement Player, Antetokounmpo is third in the NBA.” His 9.3 WARP put him third behind Russell Westbrook at 9.8 and James Harden at 9.7. Nobody else in the league–including LeBron– has more than 8.4 WARP (Kevin Durant),” wrote ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.

On any given night, James can be an elite player. Just look at Game 7 from last season’s Finals. But he’s on the back nine of his NBA career. He’s taking nights off because rest is a priority. He can still be an elite defender, but it’s not unusual to see him coast to conserve energy, as Pelton suggests.

Additionally, Antetokounmpo’s True Shooting Percentage has put him in the same breath as James. This metric takes into account every shot a player takes: 2-pointers, 3-pointers and free throws. Giannis’ .615 TSP is the third best among players with a usage rate of 25 percent or higher, despite Antetokounmpo lacking a 3-point shot.

James, who struggled with his jumper earlier in his career, had .552 TSP in his fourth year. Currently James TSP shits at .598.

Want to take a break from the stats. Just use your eyes. LeBron James is a freakish player. We’ve told this ever since he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 17-year-old phenom at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. He’s 6-foot-8, 250 pounds. He could be first-team All-NBA at every position on the court.

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Antekounmpo, is very much in that same mold. At 6-foot-11, 220 pounds, he can play every spot on the floor at a high level, even point guard.

When the Greak Freak’s handling the rock, his “7.5 assists per 100 team plays are nearly average for a point guard (8.1) and similar to the marks for scoring point guards Stephen Curry (7.5) and Damian Lillard (7.6),” according to Pelton.

If you pay the price of admission, you’re never disappointed. Both players leave you with eyes wide open and jaws dropped. Their highlights become instant-vine classics.

LeBron’s reign as King will end at some point, and if he stays in Milwaukee, The Greak Freak appears poised to pick it up. If the public is lucky, we’ll get to see a passing of the torch between LeBron and Giannis as hopefully the two will be able to go at it in the playoffs down the road.

Next: Korver Trade Just Another Savvy Move By David Griffin

But for the sake of Cavs fans, let’s hope that doesn’t happen for at least four or five more years.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo Poised To Take The Throne From LeBron James

By Nick Dudukovich | Jan 12, 2017

If there’s one player who can challenge LeBron James as the Best Player In the East, it’s budding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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