When the Miami Heat traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they believed that he would elevate the team into title contention in the Eastern Conference. The Heat joined a crowded group of contenders trying to unseat the New York Knicks.

Yet, with Antetokounmpo pairing with Bam Adebayo, Miami believed that their frontcourt would carry the rest of the team into a deep playoff run. Now in his 14th NBA season, the star power forward continues to post double-doubles. A former NBA center offered a strong take that could change perception regarding Antetokounmpo’s level of play.

DeMarcus Cousins Thinks Heat Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Hasn’t Changed His Game

The Miami Heat traded multiple first-round draft picks and guard Tyler Herro for Giannis Antetokounmpo with the hopes of a deep postseason run. So far, the Heat, with their new lineup, haven’t lived up to expectations, posting a 5-6 record. Yet, none of their struggles could be blamed on the former Milwaukee Bucks standout.

The 31-year-old is averaging 27.7 points per game on 56.7% shooting. Moreover, the nine-time All-NBA selection is grabbing 12.6 rebounds per game. DeMarcus Cousins, who made four All-Star teams, thinks that Antetokounmpo hasn’t altered his style of play, starting at 1:15:47 of this video.

“I don’t feel like Giannis has gotten better. He’s playing the same exact way the year he won the championship.”

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the 2020-21 NBA championship with stats similar to what he currently posts in Miami, averaging 28.1 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 56.9% from the field.

Cousins’ comments come on the heels of comments made by one of Antetokounmpo’s former coaches, Doc Rivers, who did not mince words in describing the veteran.

“He’s not easy. He plays at this crazy downhill pace. He’s really a difficult guy. . . He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have a super-high IQ at the same time. . . He really has only one way. . . Every play, he wants to force it. I wish he’d learned how to execute better.”

While Rivers ultimately apologized to Antetokounmpo, Cousins’ statement stands out. Antetokounmpo wants, above all else, to get to the basket with aggression. The numbers bear that out. For example, he leads the NBA in most made two-point field goals per game with 10.2.

If that trend continues for the rest of the year, Antetokounmpo will have led the NBA in that category for the fifth consecutive season.

Less than a month from his 32nd birthday, natural questions arise regarding how long he can keep up that pace and mostly rely on barreling towards the basket for the majority of his points. To this point, Antetokounmpo hasn’t developed a consistent shot from beyond the arc. This year, he’s connecting on 22.2% of his three-point attempts.

Miami has not flourished early like they probably anticipated. Of the team’s six losses, four of them resulted in defeats of 15 points or more. While Antetokounmpo plays the same, the rest of the roster has not picked up any slack.

In an era of the stretch four and post players that look comfortable beyond the arc, Antetokounmpo appears comfortable with playing the game the same way that won him multiple MVP trophies, a championship, and league-wide acclaim.

The franchise didn’t just trade for an elite player, they signed on to build their identity as a team around his style of play.

The Heat have hitched their fortunes to his approach, and time will tell whether that tactic proves successful. Miami hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons this weekend.