The numbers paint a strange picture when it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo this season. One of the league’s most dominant and efficient scorers now sits at the bottom of an unexpected list. After making massive progress last season, Giannis has struggled from mid-range again this season. Among players with at least 40 mid-range attempts in the 2025-25 NBA season, Giannis has the worst shooting percentage from that distance.
He is, in fact, shooting just 22.0% from there, and that is a stunning stat.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 22.0%
2. Russell Westbrook: 28.6%
3. Jabari Smith Jr.: 29.3%
4. Lauri Markkanen: 29.8%
5. Paolo Banchero: 31.1%
6. Jimmy Butler: 31.9%
7. Andrew Nembhard: 32.3%
8. Alperen Sengun: 33.9%
8. Desmond Bane: 33.9%
10. Brandin Podziemski: 35.7%
The list itself is revealing. Giannis ranks below players like Russell Westbrook, Jabari Smith Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Paolo Banchero, and Jimmy Butler when it comes to mid-range efficiency. Westbrook sits at 28.6%. Banchero is at 31.1. Even Alperen Sengun and Desmond Bane are several points higher. For Giannis to sit alone at the bottom feels almost unreal given his overall production.
And that is what makes this worth unpacking. Despite the ugly mid-range numbers, Giannis is still averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He is shooting an absurd 63.9% from the field and a career best 43.5% from three. Those are elite numbers across the board, the kind that usually erase any shooting concerns. Yet the mid-range struggles remain glaring when isolated.
Part of the explanation is simple. Giannis does not live in that area. His game is built on force, speed, and angles that collapse defenses near the rim. When teams wall off the paint, he often opts to pass or push deeper rather than settle. The mid-range attempts he does take often come late in possessions or against set defenses, which lowers efficiency. Still, 22% is low even by his standards.
Context matters as well. Giannis has missed the last five games with a calf injury and is still not back on the floor. During his absence, the Milwaukee Bucks have continued to slide. They now sit at 11-17, placing them near the bottom of the standings after what looked like a steady start to the season. With losses piling up, every flaw in Giannis’ game is being magnified under a brighter light.
That scrutiny has only intensified with the nonstop trade chatter surrounding him. Giannis recently joked that he is the ‘hottest chick in the game’ because of how often his name pops up in rumors. While he insists the noise does not affect his work or his relationships inside the organization, the timing is impossible to ignore. When a team struggles, and its star is injured, weaknesses become talking points.
The mid range issue also speaks to how defenses approach Giannis. Teams are daring him to beat them from uncomfortable spots. They will gladly concede a 15-foot pull-up if it means keeping him out of the paint. So far, the data says that gamble is paying off. When Giannis hits threes at this rate, it softens that strategy. When he misses mid-range looks at this clip, it reinforces it.
Still, it would be a mistake to overreact. Giannis has always been a rhythm player who adjusts over time. His efficiency everywhere else suggests his touch is not broken. The calf injury likely disrupted his flow before he went out, and returning healthy could shift these numbers quickly.
For now, the stat remains a curiosity more than an indictment. Giannis can be the league’s worst mid-range shooter on paper and still be one of its most unstoppable forces. The real concern for Milwaukee is not where he shoots from, but whether they can stabilize long enough to take advantage of everything else he does so well once he returns.
