Jul 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Knicks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo (43) and forward Cleanthony Early (17) celebrate on the court during an NBA Summer League game against the Lakers at Thomas & Mack Center. The Knicks won 76-66. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
For the past two years, we’ve seen the emergence of the “Greek Freak” on the Milwaukee Bucks also known as, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The name soon got familiar and thanks to his incredibly tongue twisting name, everybody noticed that there was another player bearing the same name.
Within those two years while Giannis was appearing in All-Star weekends, his older brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo has been playing for the Westchester Knicks. Fans had been wondering why it took so long for the 23-year old to be on board, but all they can say is that it’s about time.
Thanasis was being closely watched by the D-League affiliate of the New York Knicks and after being offered lucrative deals by overseas teams, Thanasis stuck it out for this specific reason. The Greek native signed a two-year deal for only $750,000 guaranteed, which is the minimum but a chance at the pro level.
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The forward put some decent numbers in the D-League as he played 97 games averaging 12.9 points, five rebounds and two assists per game. Like his younger brother, Thanasis has the height and wing span that the Knicks could use off the bench. It’s not clear what head coach Derek Fisher intends to do with him, but he’ll most likely be coming off the bench.
In this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, Thanasis played in five games, averaging about six points and two rebounds per game. Now,those numbers don’t exactly stand out, but the positive for Thanasis is that his minutes were increasing every game. In his final game, he was on the floor for 22 minutes and scored 17 points grabbing two rebounds and dishing out one assist.
Thanasis does however, need to work on his basketball IQ as he seems to be nervous at times and loses focus. If there’s one thing he doesn’t lack, it’s intensity. Thanasis is known to play with high energy and get up in every opponents face on defense, something the Knicks could use.
Some may question the Knicks’ decision to sign Thanasis, but some say the time has come for him. He may be like his brother, he may not, but they do have similarities and at this point the Knicks can’t lose by taking a chance on him.
The NBA could possibly have a second “Greek Freak” on the rise; if Thanasis is up to it.
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