Giannis Antetokounmpo is perhaps one of the most dominant players in NBA history. His ability to get to the rim with incredible ease has been second to none. But in recent weeks, we have seen Antetokounmpo attempt, and make more mid-range shots. And after the Bucks‘ 119-104 loss to the Hawks, Antetokounmpo explained why he has switched his focus to his mid-range games.
“I’m in an age that I’ve realized that in order for me to be effective and still be able to help my team win games I have to switch my game a little bit… I know I’m effective in the paint.. but you take a lot of beating, now my body today feels great. I feel like I haven’t been touched which is incredible…”
“I’m literally changing my game which gives me so much dopamine rush in my head because I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.. it takes the beating out of me and my teammates want me to keep on shooting them…”
https://twitter.com/GiannisWorld/status/1864359484639846808
Antetokounmpo had a decent game despite the loss, as he put up 31 points (8-14 FG), 11 rebounds, five assists, and one steal while shooting 57.1% from the field, and 57.6% from the free-throw line. His misses at the free-throw line definitely cost the Bucks, but that has always been a glaring weakness of Giannis’ game that he hasn’t been able to fix.
Antetokounmpo’s decision to attempt more mid-range shots because it allows him to preserve his body. Playing such a paint-oriented game has a big impact on his body, as he is required to make strong contact with other strong centers and bigs in the NBA, who will try to overpower him.
Attempting more mid-range shots will allow him to get better looks as players will back off, anticipating that he will drive to the hoop. On top of that, he can also get reps to improve his shooting, which has historically never been strong.
For the season, he is shooting 47.5% from mid-range, which is a career-best, topping his previous career-high mid-range percentage of 41.5% from the 2021-22 season, when he helped the Bucks win the NBA championship. To compare, last season, he shot 35.1% from mid-range.
Giannis Putting Up MVP Numbers
The Bucks turned around their poor start this season, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s run of form was the catalyst for that. For the season, he is averaging 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 61.6% from the field, 21.4% from the three-point line, and 61.1% from the stripe.
These are some of the best numbers of Antetokounmpo’s career. For comparison, he averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in his first MVP season in 2018-19. And the following year, when he won his second MVP trophy, he averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
He is currently putting up better numbers than his two MVP seasons, and the best scoring numbers of his entire career so far. If he keeps playing this way, and the Bucks do well in the Eastern Conference, Antetokounmpo could be in the running to win his third MVP trophy.
The loss to the Hawks will undoubtedly hurt the momentum the Bucks had built over the last few games. They came into last night’s fixture on a 9-1 run in their last 10 games. Doc Rivers will be hopeful that last night was a blip on the radar, and that the Bucks can continue their recent winning form.
The Bucks will face a tough challenge in their next game, as they take on the Celtics at the TD Garden on Friday night at 7:30 PM EST. Playing against the reigning champions will be a tough night, but Antetokounmpo could be the difference on the night.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
