3 ways in which Giannis Antetokounmpo can take his game to the next level
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, also known as the "Greek Freak", is one of the most exciting and talented players in the NBA. Having won consecutive NBA MVP's in 2019 and 2020, Giannis also won his first NBA Championship and Finals MVP in the 2020-21 season.
His outstanding performance in the NBA Finals was a message to the league's best: "There's a new sheriff in town." Giannis has been in the conversation about being the best player in the league for a while and his accomplishments definitely support this argument.
Giannis' ridiculous athletic abilities and physical gifts make him a stand out player. What makes him great is his determination and work ethic. Adding new aspects to his game each season, Giannis never stops growing.
Although his simplistic offensive bag of "running and dunking," as simplified by the Brooklyn Nets' James Harden, is effective, he has layers to his game. Giannis has shown potential in shooting the long ball, as well as the makings of a turnaround fadeaway from the low post as a counter to his right-handed jump hook.
The Bucks' performance in the Finals puts them in a position to defend the throne as the reigning Champions. With that in mind, here are three ways in which Giannis Antetokounmpo can take his game to the next level.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo adds a mid-range game
Giannis is one of the best finishers at the rim in the NBA. His long strides and freakish athleticism make him an absolute unit going downhill. Add this to his crafty misdirection euro-step and suddenly defenders are left trying to predict his movement rather than react in time to keep up.
While this is an effective move, it isn't something that is hard to contain. Driving to the rim is possible when you have the real estate to do it. NBA defenses find solutions to these outliers on offense. Most teams would just collapse in on the paint, making it harder to finish or give him the space to force him into a contested jumper.
To his credit, Giannis' court vision allows him to hit the shooters in the corner with a drive and kick, but the mid-range is a great weapon to have.
Giannis only shot 32.3% from 15-19 feet. If he can get that percentage upto a reliable 39%-42% range, it'll reduce a lot of the energy that's consumed in driving to the basket each time. It also opens up avenues to force defenses to open up the paint for players diving to the basket.