Name: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-9
Position: Small Forward
School/Country: Filathlitikos (Greece)
Latest Stats: 9.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.4 apg
Giannis Antetokounmpo made himself available for the 2013 NBA Draft at the last second, making the pledge on the final day of the NBA’s deadline for early entrants. Antetokounmpo is only 18 years of age and his decision to enter the draft shouldn’t really come as all that much of a shock given his potential and first round projection. Antetokounmpo spent the 2012-13 season playing for Team Filathlitikos in Greece, averaging 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in roughly 22.5 minutes of action.
Antetokounmpo stands at 6-foot-9, but he can shoot and play the perimeter. He is officially listed as a small forward in this year’s draft, so you can tell just by looking at his profile just how much potential he can have at the NBA level. However, Antetokounmpo is an international prospect who is more than raw, so he carries the label as an investment selection. He has a long way to go, so there’s no doubt that he could be a risk/reward selection for one NBA franchise. Antetokounmpo is projected to be selected in the mid-to-late portion of the first round, so more than likely he could be headed to a playoff contending team that can afford to play the waiting game.
Strengths: Potential. That’s the bottom line for Antetokounmpo. At 6-foot-9, he has great size for the small forward position. He can shoot, he can rebound and he has enough athleticism to be a match-up nightmare on the perimeter someday.
Weaknesses: Antetokounmpo is a first round projection based mainly off his potential down the line. Some believe he is two or three years from reaching a point where he can contribute at the level of that potential. At 18 years of age, Adetokunbo is raw, but will he live up to his potential of being a first round selection or become just another project prospect who doesn’t make it?
Draft Projection: Mid-to-Late First Round
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
