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NBA Draft: Why OKC Thunder should pick the baby freak Kostas Antetokounmpo

By Alex Mcewen

KINGSTON, RI - FEBRUARY 23: Dayton Flyers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo (13) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between Dayton Flyers and Rhode Island Rams on February 23, 2018, at the Ryan Center in Kingston, RI. Rhode Island defeated Dayton 81-56 and wins the Atlantic 10 regular season title. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KINGSTON, RI - FEBRUARY 23: Dayton Flyers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo (13) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between Dayton Flyers and Rhode Island Rams on February 23, 2018, at the Ryan Center in Kingston, RI. Rhode Island defeated Dayton 81-56 and wins the Atlantic 10 regular season title. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 17: Kostas Antetokounmpo #14 looks on during the NBA Draft Combine Day 1 at the Quest Multisport Center on May 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 17: Kostas Antetokounmpo #14 looks on during the NBA Draft Combine Day 1 at the Quest Multisport Center on May 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Raw, but ready is the definition of Kostas Antetokounmpo. Despite being less freakish than his older brother should OKC select him in the NBA Draft?

Kostas Antetokounmpo as Sports Illustrated put it is less freakish than older brother Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Kostas can still do some pretty freaky things on the hardwood.

Kostas could take two different routes once he arrives in the NBA. The rout of his older brother Giannis or the rout of his oldest brother Thanasis. Kostas could easily fall in the middle and not be as good as Giannis, but better than Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Regardless of the path, Kostas travels in the NBA he will likely have an intriguing career.

Player specifics:

  • Height: 6′10.5″
  • Height W/O Shoes: 6′9
  • Weight: 194
  • Wingspan: 7′2.25″
  • Position: PF
  • Age: 20.5
  • College: Dayton, Freshman
  • Hometown: Athens, Greece

Statline:

Per Game Table
Season G MP FG FGA FG% 2P 2PA 2P% FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK PF PTS
2017-18 29 15.1 2.0 3.5 .574 1.9 3.0 .651 2.2 .516 0.8 2.0 2.9 0.4 0.2 1.1 2.3 5.2
Career 29 15.1 2.0 3.5 .574 1.9 3.0 .651 2.2 .516 0.8 2.0 2.9 0.4 0.2 1.1 2.3 5.2

Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/18/2018. 

NBA Draft Combine Breakdown:

  • Max Vertical: 35.0 inches, 23rd
  • Standing Vertical: 29.5 inches, 27th
  • Lane Agility: 12.48 seconds, third worst
  • Three-Quarter Sprint: 3.21 seconds, 34th
  • NBA Shuttle Drill: 3.48 seconds, second worst

A few different things stood out from Kostas’ NBA Draft combine performance and his college statline. Foremost, Kostas appears to be a true power forward, rather than a stretch four. Which, is intriguing because in this era many power forwards will extend their game to the perimeter.

Furthermore, Kostas Antetokounmpo’s combine performance was eye-raising because he struggled on the conditioning portions. During the combine Kostas’ athletic ability was on full display, hence his impressive max and standing vertical leaps.

However, his performance on the lane agility and NBA shuttle drill peaked my interest. Kostas registered some of the lowest marks of the combine in those events. This is concerning because it could indicate Kostas is out of shape since it’s the offseason or worse has overall conditioning issues.

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