“Skinny Wing Version Shaquille O’Neal”: Is Giannis Antetokounmpo the Most Dominant Player in the NBA?

Giannis Antetokounmpo looks destined to pick up his second MVP award this season. The Milwaukee Buck has led his team to the best record in the NBA for the second year. His improvement from season-to-season has been dangerous. With the addition of a basic three-point jumper this season, Giannis has already laid the groundwork for another jump next season. We haven’t seen a force like Giannis impose his will on the league in a long time.

The last person who was this dominant was probably Shaquille O’Neal. LeBron in his last two years with the Heat was dominant, but not like what Giannis and Shaq did. Giannis was crowned ‘Superman’ by Shaq himself, with Shaq comparing the Greek Freak to himself on multiple occasions. NBA Analyst and former Duke champion Jay Williams agrees. He said on First Take by ESPN.

“Giannis is a skinny wing version of Shaquille O’Neal. He’s the most dominant player in the game by far. He may not be like LeBron James in terms of influencing the game but he is going to punish you every single time.”

He added to this by saying, “The trajectory we’re on with Giannis right now has been exponentially great. We’re just seeing how much he’s grown and putting the right pieces around him defensively and shooters, I think Giannis is going to be in a position where he learns to make the right plays and be considered a closer.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his ceiling

Giannis seems to be progressing faster than anyone imagined. He is still just 25-years old, bringing genuine parallels to the likes of Shaq and LeBron. He has a solid career already ahead of him even if he doesn’t improve at all. However, the former Most Improved Player can’t just rest in the off-season.

After his play-style was exposed last year by the Toronto Raptors, Giannis has to find more ways of making himself dangerous if he is walled away from the rim. His three-pointer is improving slowly and his playmaking has taken a step forward as well. There are very few flaws in his game right now, and if he even improves slightly over the next few seasons, he will probably surpass Shaq’s dominance.