Giannis Antetokoumpo is not a free agent for this upcoming offseason. However, he is eligible to resign with Millwuakee for the five year super max contract if he wants to. If he forgoes this option, it opens the door for trades similar to Paul George or Kawhi Leonard years ago. There is one right decision for Giannis to make. If Giannis wants to maximize his incredible talent, he will join the Golden State Warriors. Whether by trade next season or a free agent signing the following, it is the one golden ticket amongst a group of average chocolate bars.
This move would cause an uproar in the NBA media. But this type of polarizing decision is not the first of its kind. Lebron did it when he left his hometown behind for South Beach, and Kevin Durant did it when he left Oklahoma City; two top 20 players of all time have left for greener grass elsewhere, both in the modern NBA era. But the reason Giannis should make this decision isn’t because others have done it too, it has everything to do with maximizing his skillset on the court.
In Milwaukee, Giannis has disappointed time and time again in the postseason. He is a statistical monster in the regular season and has two MVPs to show for it. However, at the end of the day we (the basketball community) care about rings and titles, that’s it. Like it or not, Giannis could win five more MVPs but his status amongst the greats will never be where he wants it to be. The reason for his postseason failures is largely his own fault, but his situation in Milwaukee is also not helping.
Giannis is a runaway freight train and if you ever find yourself on the tracks it is in your best interests to move aside. However, with the help of five other guys, you stand a formidable chance at bringing him to a screeching halt. That is exactly what the Raptors did a year ago and the Heat are doing now. They play a defensive strategy seen at the high school level. Teams will put a versatile defender on Giannis like a Kawhi Leonard or Jae Crowder and then have every other off ball defender shoot the gaps. In other words, they stand in between the ball and their man directly blocking the driving lanes. This makes it impossible for Giannis to do what he does best and get downhill driving to the rim. The spacing is terrible and it is so evident in the last two playoff series losses.
Of the players who log more than 20 mpg, only two shoot threes above 36%. Milwuakee does not have enough to space the floor during playoff time. Kris Middleton is a third option on a championship team but on the Bucks, he’s a number two. My best reference for Middleton is that he’s a Walmart-brand Klay Thompson.
That being said, if Giannis goes to the Warriors, he forms a big three with two of the probably five greatest shooters ever. Klay Thompson, who is head-and-shoulders above Kris Middleton, becomes the third option. This team could maximize everything Giannis is extraordinary at. They will also mask his weaknesses that are continuously exposed during the playoffs. Giannis compliments the splash brothers perfectly. It is a scary proposition for NBA parity, but for Giannis this is the right move. It will make his life on the court so much easier and he will discover his maximum potential in Golden State. Sports are the only sphere where people get criticized for choosing the potential-maximizing decision. Take the backlash out of it, this is a no-brainer.
Giannis will win a ton of MVPs while never getting to the promised land if he stays in Milwaukee. To cement his legacy as a winner, Giannis Antetokoumpo SHOULD join the Golden State Warriors.