Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest member of the Antetokounmpo basketball family, is currently on a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, having spent previous seasons developing in the NBA’s G League and overseas. While his career is still in its early stages, his unique athletic profile and family name have kept him in the spotlight. However, the influence of nepotism on his NBA pathway and the Bucks’ roster construction continues to provoke discussion and criticism.
Player Profile and Physical Attributes
Standing at 2.03 meters (about 6’7″) with a wingspan reportedly reaching 7’2”, Alex is an athletic combo forward. His background includes experience in both European leagues (Aris Thessaloniki) and NBA G League teams, such as the Wisconsin Herd and Raptors 905. He’s known for his physical tools, competitive drive, and the potential to fill multiple forward roles on the floor.
Strengths
- Athleticism and Length: Alex’s physical attributes—elite length, solid leaping ability, and good size for a wing—make him a versatile defender and potential transition weapon.
- Energy and Hustle: He plays with effort, often making positive hustle plays, chasing rebounds, and disrupting passing lanes with deflections.
- Open Floor Play: He’s particularly effective in transition and filling lanes for fast breaks, running the floor well and drawing fouls.
- Passing Vision and Rebounding: Alex has shown flashes as a ballhandler with decent passing instincts, and he’s a strong offensive rebounder for his position.
Weaknesses
- Raw Skillset: While his athleticism is undeniable, Alex is regarded as a raw prospect. He does several things at a decent level but doesn’t yet excel in any specific area.
- Shooting Consistency: His shooting mechanics and shot selection are inconsistent, resulting in below-average percentages, especially from three-point range. His feet orientation and repetitive shooting form need significant work.
- Ball Handling: He remains turnover-prone, with loose ball-handling, especially under pressure or when forced to use his left hand.
- Decision Making: Tends to make questionable decisions with the ball, telegraphing passes or choosing poor moments for aggressive plays.
- Defensive Awareness: Despite physical tools, he sometimes struggles with defensive rotations, help defense, and maintaining focus.
Statistical Snapshot (G League Averages):
| Season | Team | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Wisconsin Herd | 21.2 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 32.0 | 19.6 | 71.4 |
| 2022-23 | Wisconsin Herd | 22.3 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 37.2 | 24.7 | 55.9 |
| Career | 18.6 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 36.7 | 24.7 | 63.3 |
NBA Potential
Despite his potential upside, Alex currently projects as a fringe rotation player—his ceiling will depend on significant development in skill areas and decision-making. Scouts note he could become a switchable defender and secondary playmaker with 3-and-D value, but this requires improvement in perimeter shooting, ball security, and on-ball defense.
Nepotism and Its Impact on the Bucks
The Antetokounmpo family connection undeniably influences roster decisions. Giannis’s status as the franchise centerpiece has led the Bucks to extend opportunities to his brothers, including Thanasis and Alex, often at the expense of more competitive or developmental roster spots. High-profile commentators have called out this nepotism, suggesting it undermines meritocratic team building and can create resentment or frustration among teammates striving for opportunities on talent alone.
- Limited Roster Spots: Two-way and end-of-bench positions are valuable for developing young talent. Allocating these to family members primarily for off-court harmony or star retention can stunt the growth of other prospects.
- Locker Room Dynamics: Nepotism may strain relationships if players feel roles aren’t earned, potentially affecting locker room morale and on-court chemistry.
- Team Performance: While strengthening Giannis’s ties to Milwaukee may have intangible benefits, it can impair overall competitiveness if the roster isn’t built purely on merit.youtube
So what’s the point?
Alex Antetokounmpo’s NBA journey is emblematic of both the opportunities and controversies created by family ties in pro sports. He embodies raw physical talent and hustle but lacks a specialized skill set at the moment. For now, his presence on the Bucks is less a product of exceptional on-court impact than of Giannis’s influence, and ongoing nepotism risks diminishing the franchise’s talent pipeline and fairness in player development.
The real problem is Giannis. A 30 year old adult claiming he needs his brothers around to perform? Are we all serious?
There really is not that much to go on so here are all my sources for this post.
- https://nypost.com/2023/09/21/espns-shannon-sharpe-rips-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-nepotism/
- https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46583158/bucks-sign-alex-antetokounmpo-two-way-contract
- https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Alex-Antetokounmpo/Summary/140079
- https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%86%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BE_%CE%91%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BD%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%BF
- https://www.nbadraft.net/players/alex-antetokounmpo/
- https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Alex-Antetokounmpo/434387
- https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/236144/antetokounmpo-alex
- https://nbadraftroom.com/p/alex-antetokounmpo/
- https://www.nbascoutinglive.com/alex-antetokounmpo-scouting-report/
- https://gleague.nba.com/player/1630828/alex-antetokounmpo
- https://3stepsbasket.com/player/alex-antetokounmpo/advanced?season=gbl25
- https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/alex-antetokounmpo-giannis-brother-bucks-g-league/xjijq0xhrhqf1cz455q8s0nz
- https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/19ffacb/why_do_the_bucks_have_thanasis_but_not_kostasalex/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMkBolSFhnc
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGL3wtkPDUE
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Antetokounmpo
- https://www.nba.com/player/1630828/alex-antetokounmpo
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2695855-with-unlimited-potential-alex-antetokounmpo-hype-growing-to-freakish-levels
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepotism
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8vzaosGicc
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