2014 NBA Draft Profiles: Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Thanasis Antetokounmpo could be a target for the New Orleans Pelicans if they trade back into the 2014 NBA Draft. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

With news that the Pelicans are looking to trade into the NBA Draft to grab a small forward or center plenty of questions have been raised about the plan of the front office. Out of all of them though the most important seems to be which player, or players, have caught the eye of the front office enough to cause them to try to work themselves back into a pick. Instead of trying to guess exactly the player, Pelican Debrief has decided to just break down 18 small forwards and centers leading up to draft day (two reports will be posted daily) so that Pelicans fans will be ready no matter where or when the team trades into the draft and selects a player. 

As hard as it is to spell and say for NBA fans the name Antetokounmpo has become a household one thanks to the emergence of Milwaukee Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo last season. Giannis was drafted late in the lottery by the Bucks due to a unique combination of length and athleticism and he provided the few moments of excitement for the team this season. Now another Antetokounmpo enters the league as Giannis’ older brother Thanasis looks to get taken by some team in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The Basics:

Age: 21

College: NBA D-League (Deleware 87ers)

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 205

Wingspan: 7’0″

Standing Reach:  8’8.5″

Max Vert: 39.5

Draft Projections: Early Second Round

Stats: 29.3 MPG,  12.0 PPG,  46.9 FG%, 30.9 3-PT%, 66.3 FT%,  4.3 RPG, 1.7  ORPG, 1.3  BPG, 1.2 SPG, 2.3 TOPG

Strengths: 

Just like his brother Giannis, Thanasis Antetokounmpo has freakish athleticism combined with size and length that make his potential as high as it is. Antetokounmpo used his speed to his huge advantage, as he had a field day in transition during his past stint in the D-League. Antetokounmpo combines that speed with his size to help him finish when he gets to the rim, his FG% in this past D-League season was 46.9%, which is high fora wing player, showing that once his speed gets him to the cup, his size and athleticism help him finish the play at a very high level.

Antetokounmpo’s size is also a huge benefit on the defensive end. The physical tools Antetokounmpo possesses gives him amazing upside for the future on defense. His 1.3 blockers per game and 1.2 steals per game may not be eye popping numbers, but they are consistent and show he was a defensive threat on the floor every night. His long arms and wingspan make it very difficult for opponents to pass around him, and helps him get inside passing lanes for easy steals, while his high vertical helps him defend and force opponents into tougher shots.

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Weaknesses:

The big knock on Thanasis is the pure fact he’s not fully developed yet in his career. One of his biggest weaknesses is the consistency in his offensive game. His shooting mechanics overall can be iffy, with his release and balance on his shots very off and erratic at times. His jumper was off target all year as he only shot 30% when it came to jumpers. With the talent the NBA possesses, Antetokounmpo will have to get his jumper down to compete at the highest level.

The worry with Thanasis is if he will develop his game to the full potential he has. While his effort on the floor has been solid, his decision making can be very shaky at times. For a guy who does not handle the ball to a great extent, 2.3 turnovers per game is a higher number than potential teams would like to see. A lot of other things are simple adjustments he must make, such as understanding defensive concepts and staying in a good defensive stance for the full 24 second shot clock. While all of this could very well come together in a matter of time and experience, it is a bit of a worry that so many of the simple mechanics are not fully there for Thanasis.

Projected Role: Antetokunmpo could immediately help the Pelicans at their weakest position and play quality minutes at the small forward. Later on in the year he could potentially become a starter, but early on would more than likely come off the bench. Thanasis won’t be someone who can chalk up huge offensive numbers, but if he figures out the mechanics on his jumper he can balance the floor and bring the hustle and athleticism to help New Orleans out in a long, grueling season.

Information for this post was found at DraftExpress.com. To view Antetokounmpo’s profile and scouting report video at DX right here.