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Giannis Antetokounmpo lands in no. 4, Damian Lillard no. 18 in early top-50 player rankings
With a little over a month into the 2023-2024 season, players have now had enough time to settle in and show off their most significant and brightest abilities. As such, Bleacher Report has already begun to rank the Top 50 players in the league, with Milwaukee Bucks' superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo coming in at no. 4 and Damian Lillard not far behind at no. 18.
A consistent force
The "Greek Freak" is such an incredible player that experts seem to care more about what he can do better than what he's doing right now. To start, Giannis is averaging 30.2 points on a career-best 61 percent shooting, 10.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, undoubtedly superstar numbers.
However, Adam Fromal wrote there are some things he can do to rise up in the next edition of the player rankings, like cutting down on his turnovers. Currently, Giannis is coughing the ball up at an alarming rate, averaging 4.2 turnovers per game—the worst of his career.
"It's not a function of increased offensive involvement since his turnover percentage is higher than it's been since 2014-15. His assist percentage and usage rate are also both down," Fromal explained.
Lillard's numbers are down
Make no mistake: Lillard is a certified superstar in this league, even though most of his numbers are down from last season.
"His 25.5 points per game are his second-worst mark since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, and the same is nearly true of his 6.9 assists per contest. He's connected on a meager 33.6 percent of his 8.4 three-point attempts per game," Fromal shared.
Considering that he transitioned from being the sole offensive threat for the Portland Trail Blazers to now sharing the ball with Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, it is understandable that these adjustments were expected.
However, what holds greater significance for the Bucks is Lillard's progression in the right direction, particularly in terms of establishing chemistry with his new teammates. This development could prove advantageous for the team come playoff time in the NBA.
