For the second year, Flashscore offers you its ranking of the 100 most anticipated players of the 2024/2025 NBA season. We arrive on the podium with Giannis Antetokounmpo, frustrated for two years in the playoffs, but still incredible individually speaking.
Tiptoeing in as the 15th pick in the meager 2013 draft, Giannis Antetokounmpo brought the NBA to its feet in 8 years. Two consecutive MVP titles in 2019 and 2020, then a legendary playoff campaign in 2021, concluded with a title and the Finals MVP as a bonus. The Greek was then 26 years old, and he was the best player in the world without question.
But since the elimination in game 7 against the Celtics in 2022 after a Dantesque series of playoffs, the machine Bucks has completely disintegrated. THE Greak Freek has his share of responsibility, since during the last two seasons, he was physically affected or absent in the first round. Result: two eliminations in a row, enough to make a real mess for a franchise which has settled in the ranks of the East.
On a regular basis, Giannis unfolds. Night after night, he remains the captain of his team and tortures the defenses. Difficult to stop the Greek TGV, which like Embiid no longer chase the statuette, but only the greatest number of rings possible. However, he made a cryptic statement recently, suggesting that if Milwaukee did not win the title, he could well be transferred.
Pressure on management? Want somewhere else? Anticipation of a possible future? In terms of basketball, no doubt, we are dealing with one of the very best players in the NBA. Giannis remains a major force, who could still compete for the MVP, but some physical and structural questions remain, as the Bucks management seems to be at the end of its rope. Sufficient to prevent the return of Greak Freek ultra dominant this season?
Stats 2023/2024 : 30.4 points, 6.5 assists, 11.5 rebounds, 61.1% shooting, 27.4% three-point shooting
Reasoned objective 2024/2025: 32 points / 12 rebonds / 7 passes / NBA Finals / MVP
