What position do you think Giannis Antetokounmpo plays? Well, don’t worry if you can’t figure. Not only fans, but even players are yet to decide which position the ‘Greek Freak’ has played the most. Looking back at his draft profile, many considered him to be a small forward. And why not? His athleticism was too rich to be considered a power forward at the time. Of course, the game has evolved in the past decade or so as we have guys like Zion Williamson who play the four being freakishly athletic. Still, to this day, Giannis’ game as a power forward is always held in question.

For instance, he can shoot from the mid-range, dominate in transition as well as in the low post, and he can defend equally well. But then again. the question is, why isn’t he a power forward? The simple answer would be positionless basketball. If anything, there is no doubt that Giannis is a big man. He can play the three, and the four, and even check in as a center. Still, the Freak usually brings the ball upcourt for the Bucks. But that doesn’t make him a guard. Amid this confusion, Patrick Beverley cleared the dust by counting Giannis as a small forward.

In the recent episode of The Pat Bev podcast, Beverley argued that Giannis is a small forward. “There’s not a lot of fours out there… Greek Freak, not a four… He’s a three. Greek Freak is a three, are you crazy? Khris Middleton, Dame Lillard, and Greek Freak. What are you talking about? I put Greek Freak in the same position I put Wemby, Greek, Bron, KD, positionless basketball… Just because he’s 7-foot does that make him a four?”, said Pat Bev.

To his surprise, Giannis even commented on the post saying, “I’m a basketball player I’m everywhere and everything”. The ‘Greek Freak’ definitely cleared things up in terms of what he does on the court. On the other hand, small forward or not, Antetokounmpo’s future as a Buck might be in question. But why is that? Well, the Mavericks are the front runners to land Giannis in Dallas next summer. However, that would only be the case if the Bucks fail to succeed in the playoffs this upcoming season. On the other hand, if the Mavs manage to bring Giannis alongside Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving, the league will be looking at a new superteam.

Nevertheless, coming back to the Freak’s questionable position, we’ve seen Giannis do it all. He shoots, he scores, he defends, and he directs plays. Considering his skill set, Giannis can be considered a solid small forward. In fact, he was listed at the three during the first four seasons of his career. Since the 2017-18 season, Giannis has been listed as a Power Forward, even for the upcoming season. However, this one attribute might make a strong case for the Freak to start as a small forward.

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t a consistent three-point shooter

Giannis shot 30.4% from deep on 4.7 attempts per game during his second MVP season. While these were his best averages, Giannis can look to improve his shot from the outside. He definitely isn’t a decent shooter from the outside, but it wouldn’t hurt to attempt more long-range shots. Besides, a big man with a jumper is always a threat on the floor. If the ‘Greek Freak’ can consistently shoot over 35% from deep, there is no doubt that he’ll challenge the rest of the small forwards in the game. He’s been a consistent scorer throughout his career and it would be interesting to see his rank among other MVP candidates once works on his three-point shot.

As the pre-season looms right around the corner, Giannis and company hope for a healthy season. The Bucks have been struggling in the postseason for the past two years despite a great regular season record. They’re only one healthy season away from hopefully making it back to the Finals. With Damian Lillard also looking forward to a promising season, the Bucks are all set to dominate this fall.

What are your thoughts on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s position? Do you think he should start as a small forward or a power forward? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.