We shouldn't overlook Giannis Antetokounmpo's consistent greatness, no matter how many records he breaks

MILWAUKEE -- Myles Turner has been Giannis Antetokounmpo's teammate for nine games, and he's already talking about him like a lifelong Milwaukee Bucks fan. 

"Someone like himself, he'll have a game like tonight and it will just go unnoticed in the league, in my opinion, because people are so used to him putting up this type of stat line," Turner said after Antetokounmpo went off for 41 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks in the Bucks' 126-110 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday. 

In the process, Antetokounmpo passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most 40-point games in Bucks history with 56. For the season, the Greek Freak is averaging 33.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, one steal and 1.1 blocks on 64.2% shooting. He's second in the league in scoring, first in rebounding, 14th in assists and seventh in field goal percentage. 

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Antetokounmpo has reached the rare zone that some all-time greats get to, where they're so good and so consistent that it becomes difficult to talk about on a day-to-day basis. In eight appearances this season, he's had at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists five times already. For his career, he has 155 such games -- two behind Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson (both at 157) for the most in league history. (Only seven players have 100 such games, by the way. The other four are Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Elgin Baylor and Nikola Jokić.) 

What are you supposed to say the 155th time Antetokounmpo has an incredible game that you haven't already said for the 50th or 81st or 113th time? And so Turner is right. The day-to-day greatness often gets overlooked. It isn't until Antetokounmpo hits a game-winner or breaks a record that everyone stops to recognize his brilliance. 

"He does it night in, night out, so we're blessed to have him, for real," Ryan Rollins said. "We're just witnessing greatness. Can't take it for granted, for real. I was talking to Bobby [Portis] about that in the ice tub -- how he plays every night, it's crazy. I'm blessed to be here, for sure, to be able to witness that."

The beginning of this season has arguably been as good as Antetokounmpo has ever played. He's averaging career-highs in points, assists and field goal percentage, and the only way opponents have been able to slow him down in any capacity is to foul him -- something both he and Doc Rivers are becoming increasingly frustrated about. 

"I just think the way he gets officiated is not right. And I get it, it's hard, he's like guarding a fast Shaq," Rivers said after the Bucks' win over the Indiana Pacers earlier this week. "So, it's brutal. You can make a case -- I'm sure they do -- 'Hell, we can call a foul every time.' Well, if you do, they'll stop fouling him."

Despite the physicality he's faced, Antetokounmpo has been a wrecking ball in the paint. He's averaging 23.3 points in the paint per game, which leads the league by a wide margin. Deandre Ayton is second at 15 per night. "Probably the spacing," Antetokounmpo said, when asked why he's having so much success around the basket. "Myles [Turner], AJ [Green], [Gary Trent Jr.], Ryan [Rollins], all these guys that can shoot the ball just make it easier for me when I get in the paint." In the restricted area, Antetokounmpo is shooting 77.9%, and he's creating the majority of his baskets by himself. 

"There are some shots that he misses that he clearly gets hammered," Kyle Kuzma said. "He's such a strong player that the refs, they just allow people to be physical with him... He gets touched up more than anybody I've ever seen and I've been in the league for nine years. It's crazy, honestly."

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As tricky as it may be to continually find new ways to write and talk about Antetokounmpo's dominance, we should heed Turner and Rollins' words. We should not lose sight of what the two-time MVP is doing, just because he does it every night. 

"It's crazy to me. It's something you won't really appreciate until it's gone," Turner said. "Ten, 15 years from now -- whenever he wants to retire -- when he's gone, you're not gonna see a lot of players like Giannis. You definitely have to appreciate the greatness that's unfolding in front of you every single night."