Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the world, and even at this stage of his career, he is a future Hall of Famer. But every player has their weaknesses, even someone as gifted at the sport of basketball as Antetokounmpo.
The notable weakness for Giannis Antetokounmpo is his shooting, though it’s clear that he hasn’t needed a high-level 3PT shot to win at a high level. He is however willing to take wide-open 3PT shots to punish defenses, and it’s clear that they sometimes go in (30.3% on 3.6 attempts in 2020-21).
In a hilarious exchange caught on video, Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks’ media team some solid advice. He joked that when he makes a 3PT shot, the media team should “make it look good”, so people would think that he is a good shooter. That’s certainly one way to try and influence public perception, though most teams would still give Giannis Antetokounmpo a wide-open 3, rather than let him finish at the rim.
"When I make a three, make it look good. … So people can think I can shoot now."
Giannis has some tips for the Bucks media crew this season 🤣
(via @Bucks)pic.twitter.com/wd9ntK58ze
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 5, 2021
Giannis Antetokounmpo: You guys post my dunks, my threes. When I make a three make it look good, post it from different angles, now you know what I’m saying? Like post it from this angle, then this angle then… so it looks like I made four of them huh? So people think I can shoot now you know what I’m saying?
Media member: We’ll get that going.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo does manage to add a 3PT shot to his arsenal, it’s hard to imagine a way to guard him. If teams “wall” up and double team him on the interior, then he can just start shooting. While obviously, it’s difficult to simply improve one’s shooting when historically shooting bad percentages, there have been players who have improved their jumpers as they grew older and more experienced, such as Antetokounmpo’s former coach, Jason Kidd.
It remains to be seen if a jump-shooting Giannis Antetokounmpo will eventually become a reality. Teammate Brook Lopez said that Giannis Antetokounmpo has “two or three levels” to add to his game in 2019. It’s 2021, and he’s already managed to improve to the point where he’s led his team to a championship. Perhaps we’ll see him add that shooting he is missing, and that is a scary thought for the entire NBA.
