Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been criticized for the lack of a ‘bag’, or a hooper’s skill set which allows Giannis to cook an opposing defender one-on-one and convert a tough shot for the bucket. Even though Giannis prefers to use his physicality instead of these skills, he isn’t happy with the narrative that he has no bag whatsoever.
“There’s a narrative out there that’s false. I got a bag. But it’s good like this. Keep it on the low. When you get your ass here to Milwaukee, and you get embarrassed, you go back home and start contemplating life. Taking a shower thinking, ‘I didn’t know Giannis had a bag.’”
Conversations around players having a ‘bag’ are among the worst things that have happened during social media. It’s okay to admit that some players become fan favorites just because of their natural style of hooping and ability to put on a show. Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford could entertain fans for hours, but neither could get winning results like Giannis.
Big men are allowed to rely on their physicality, and that’s what Giannis does. He does have some dribble moves and the ability to create separation from an on-ball defender, but he won’t break his opponent down and sink a mid-range jay in their face. He doesn’t need to either, averaging 30.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists so far this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Trying To Shed Stardom
After last season’s heartbreak, it’s clear Giannis is approaching this year with a new mentality. He tried doing everything for the Bucks last playoffs and failed due to the Heat’s challenging defensive schemes. A player with a greater bag could’ve found a way to overcome that, but Giannis has realized that he has a play style that teams have exploited in the playoffs before.
Instead of buying into the ‘bag’ criticism and showing off the wrong skills to prove a point, Giannis has declared his intention to let new teammate Damian Lillard run the show.
“Winning. I’m about sacrifice. I’m about putting the work in each day. I believe in him. Basically, I might be here, but this is his team. It doesn’t matter what people say. He has to do what he does. At the end of the day, to be successful, you’ve got to be comfortable.”
Even with Dame’s attempts, it’s clear that Giannis is still the most impactful player on the Bucks. He’s on an inspired run of form right now and will soon be in the MVP conversation. You can’t remain in these conversations with no skill element to your game, and Giannis has proven that with a developing dribble package and perimeter moves. His shooting may be too far gone to see a legitimate upgrade, but he can hit the occasional mid-range after breaking an opponent down.
In the playoffs, if teams game-plan to limit Giannis and he can’t tap into his ‘bag’ to find alternative solutions, he will have Lillard. Dame is the definition of a deep bag in the NBA, and Giannis having a bailout option of that caliber next to him may be a playoff cheat code.
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