NBA finals commentator calls MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo overrated

Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but sometimes I wonder what some one is trying to say.

Take, for instance, the finals of the National Basketball Association. After winning games 1 and 2 at home, the Phoenix Suns, the team without any NBA championships, versus the Milwaukee Bucks, which won one title and that was way back in 1961.

So Phoenix was now up 2-0 in games, the post-game talk was winding down and the commentators were bragging about how good the Suns were, and one of them even tossed in a comment regarding two-time Milwaukee Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That’s two-time Most Valuable Player of the NBA, but to the commentator, apparently he knew better.

“I always regarded him as totally overrated,” he said regarding to the 6-foot-10 Antetokounmpo, “and we’re probably nice because he’s a foreigner (from Greece), and is a good player, but not the MVP, not once or twice.”

Whoa, to me this sounds stupid. Okay, so the team leader and best player bounces the ball at least 10 times before taking a foul shot, and on the road, let’s say at Phoenix, the fans in the stands count along with the limited 10 seconds as the serious Antetokounmpo looks at the basket and plays bouncy, bouncy.

He never seems bothered by the out-of-town fans reaction. He does appear annoyed by what he calls the “Giannis Wall,” when teams attack him to throw up bad shots, make bad passes, and just try to shoot his game down.

Yes, he has mentioned this at interviews, but that’s as far as he goes. He’s honest, comes to play, provides great leadership, has a good sense of humor, and in interviews has pointed to the scratches on his face and neck applied by the other team.

“Yeah, look at the scratches on my pretty face”. he said with a chuckle, “but that’s the way they attack me on both ends of the court, and so be it, it hasn’t really affected my game, it’s just part of the game.”

True, in game 1 it wasn’t his fault that the Bucks lost. He turned in 28 points, brought down 13 rebounds, and managed to dish out six assists. In game 2, he tallied a game-high of 41 points in another close loss. In game 3 in Milwaukee, he was terrific, putting in a game-high 40 points, grabbing 14 boards, and handing out eight assists in leading his Bucks to their first win in the best-of-seven.

In game 4 that Milwaukee won to even the series at 2-2, he didn’t dominate, leaving that to sharpshooting teammate Khris MIddletown, who tossed in the team-high 38 points, and was its main strength in the tense stretch run. He was calm, poised, and often applauded by Antetokounmpo and his teammates.

As for the “Greek Freak,” that he doesn’t mind being called, he was just fine adding 28 points, bringing down 11 rebounds, giving out seven assists, and even coming away with a quartet of steals.

“Overrated”? No way, not today when he’s just a big man who can handle the ball, organize the offense, bang the boards, and does things that players his size can’t do. He doesn’t like to see the wall meant for him, but if it’s legal defense, he puts up with it.

“Gianni is really a super player,” says Phoenix head coach Monty Williams. “He rushes down court like a running back, sometimes just dribbling down the lane to score, looks for teammates, and just shakes his head on calls that go against him.”

True, rarely does he bark at the officials, plus when the game is over, he’ll hug his own players and sometimes those on the other team. And he’s great and understanding at interviews, shows up win or lose and provides answers that the media request.

“Overrated”? Not by the consensus of the NBA, not by his teammates, not by the fired-up Milwaukee fans that pack the inside arena and the jammed Deer District outside.

Heck, two times he was voted MVP of the best league on the planet, and accepted by elite players like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Nikola Jokic, and these are players he beat out for MVP honors.

There’s more to add on his style of play. On defense, beware of his blocking skills like the time late in Wednesday night‘s game when he abruptly blocked an apparent layoff by 6-11 Deandre Ayton in the final minutes. Just before that, he stole the ball from Chris Paul to spark a fast break that resulted in a Middleton layup that put the Bucks up 103-99 with 27.2 remaining.

Overrated? Maybe that commentator is?