Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be dominant despite lagging attention

As the old saying goes: familiarity breeds apathy.

That remains as true in NBA circles as it does in the general consciousness. At the very pinnacle of basketball, we even have a term for it: voter fatigue. How many MVP’s would Michael Jordan have won if not for the apathy of the voting collective? Nikola Jokic could put forth a strong argument to being a four-time MVP as we speak, but he’s too busy dreaming about horses.

Over the past four years, the NBA community has perhaps become dulled to the mastery of one superstar who, although already in possession of a range of accolades, has fallen to the periphery of the "best player in the world" conversation.

Giannis Antetokounmpo remains dominant despite dwindling attention

An NBA champion with a pair of MVP’s and his club’s all-time leading scorer, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s continued metronomic  domination has been slept on by many as the Bucks slipped from championship contention. But with the current Bucks – effectively Antetokounmpo and a collection of castoffs – starting the season at a solid 6-4, let’s give the main man his flowers. Again.

To date, the 30-year-old is posting a league-leading 33.8 points per game, alongside 12.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.1 blocks. He also leads the league in free throw attempts at 10.7 (converting a decent 6.8 of them) and made field goals (13.1) while sporting a 66.3% true shooting percentage. He’s eighth in the NBA in FG% and 15^th in assists. These are otherworldly numbers that we have taken for granted, mostly due to apathy (and a little Nikola Jokic bewilderment, to be fair).

In 10 games, Giannis already has five 30-point,10-board, five assist games to his credit. With 155 30-10-5's to his name, the only players to boast more are former Bucks champions Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, with 157 apiece.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to amaze

This type of greatness has been taken for granted. It's understandable. What superlative can you utter at performance 155 that hasn’t already been spouted at performance 55? Or 105? Day-to-day brilliance can be easy to look past.

This might be the best start to a season in Giannis’ storied career, considering the raw numbers and the context of his surrounding talent. That talent, however (a phalanx of willing and able shooters) has allowed Antetokounmpo to do what he does best: destroy defenders in the paint.

With 23.8 points per game in the paint, Giannis leads the league by a comical margin. The difference between he and second placed Jokic (15.1) is the equivalent of the gap between Jokic and the 100^th placed Kevin Huerter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo producing historical dominance

This type of interior dominance is reminiscent of prime Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlain. It’s almost unholy. Only he does it while playing as a de facto point guard offensively and guarding everyone and anyone that he is assigned to defensively.

As he approaches his 31^st birthday (Dec. 6) his prime might be closer to its end than we think.

So, appreciate what you see in Bucks green 82 times a year. Antetokounmpo is a singular talent. Enjoy him while we have him. His night-in, night-out greatness should not be taken for granted.