How long has Giannis Antetokounmpo been with the Bucks? He’s going into his 12th season and for those past 11 ones, he has seen enough rookies come and go. With sufficient experience to recognize their talent, the Greek Freak predicted the latest crop of talents, and the early signs are that he is quite impressed with them. So much so that Giannis is ready to compare them with NBA legends and in his comical ways, even with cartoons.

Unlike some other NBA teams, the Bucks kept their preseason preparation on US soil. With training progressing at UC Irvine, Giannis looked upbeat ahead of the preseason games and handed out the report cards for the team’s rookies. “I like the young guys a lot,” Giannis told the reporters. “I like Tyler Smith.” After getting posterized by him during the Bucks’ practice session, the Greek Freak admitted that the rookie “can play hoop.” Not only that, Tyler also reminded him of the former 2-time champion who had a firm hold in the same position. “It reminds me of, like, Chris Bosh,” he stated.

Further appreciating Tyler, Giannis highlighted the skills that make him a standout player. “Has an unbelievable touch, but he knows how to move without the basketball, which is very rare for a kid that’s 19. I honestly like, he has a great feel for the game.” Giannis was all praise about the young talent. However, Tyler was not the only one grabbing his attention.

Have you all watched The Road Runner Show? That’s important if you want to understand Giannis’ reference, said the man himself. “I love AJ. This guy reminds me of, I told you guys yesterday, Road Runner,” the Nigerian added. Giannis asked the media, “You know the cartoon? Beep beep. Beep beep. You know, he’s just like he doesn’t stop moving.” The 8-time All-Star feels that Andre Jackson Jr. was as swift as the roadrunner bird in the show who was difficult for the cunning coyote to chase, except there’s no coyote in the NBA.

According to Giannis, the 22-year-old will provide immense energy for the team. “He just gotta, be assertive and get in the line because I think in the 2nd unit, he can help us. He can, like, speed out the tempo of our team and, push up”. Then he excused himself for getting it mixed up and continued to add, “Push up the tempo of the team and, play he plays the right way.” Hopefully, the newbies will be able to contribute to the plans that Giannis has for the Bucks’ upcoming season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo makes bold statement on Bucks’ playoff luck

For the past two seasons, the Bucks couldn’t get past the first round of the playoff tournament in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. His injuries sidelined him from helping the team to move forward. When asked on media day if the new players could help lead the team to the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA Finals, he confidently expressed his bold belief. He made it clear that he has high expectations for their contributions this season.

“Conference Finals? Finals? We gotta get out of the first round first. Let’s start there,” Giannis shocked everyone present with his response. However, he was not wrong in saying that they should focus on taking small steps. Moving past the group stages should be their immediate focus. This has been quite challenging for the Milwaukee squad.

The Bucks fans need to wait a bit longer to see. They’ll have to see for themselves how the team performs next season. And whether Giannis can keep himself healthy and lead them in the post-season tournament. But for now, they will face four fierce teams in the preseason games.