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Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an amazing time in his career having just won his first NBA championship ring with the Milwaukee Bucks last season. He led the Bucks to a win over the Phoenix Suns in the 2020-21 NBA Finals, finishing the series with a 4-2 record. They lost their first two games of the series, but remained resilient and went on to win the next four games to clinch their most-needed victory. The championship title was their first since 1971, ending their 50-year drought and their second in franchise history.
The Bucks' power forward secured a new addition of awards to his already packed list during the offseason, winning the 2020-21 NBA Finals MVP alongside his championship ring. He has won almost everything there is, but the big question remains, has he attained his peak potential yet? The answer is quite simple, he hasn't and below are the reasons why.
Three reasons which prove why Giannis Antentokounmpo still hasn't achieved his peak potential
#1 Giannis is still a young player
Giannis Antetokounmpo has spent eight seasons since joining the NBA at 19 years old, having been selected by the Bucks as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He has since then become one of the most decorated players in the league and he's only 26 years old.
Research carried out by Berri and Simmons suggests that NBA players in all normal circumstances peak at age 26. Their research further reveals that while the player's skill takes a gradual decline after 26, a major decline can be seen at 30. Going by this, Giannis Antetokounmpo still has about four seasons of top-notch performances before we can rule him out.
Also Read: Who are Giannis’ Brothers?
#2 Lack of multiple championships
The 2021-22 NBA season is upon us and Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to put on a show with the Bucks in a bid to defend their championship title. Antetokounmpo has been placed in the same conversation as LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. But what all these greats have in common, that he doesn't, is that they have all won multiple championships.
The Greek Freak can be ranked amongst the greats with his athletic gameplay on both offense and defense and his dominating approach. He has the potential to win multiple championships and MVPs, he's yet to achieve that and as such cannot be categorized to have attained his peak. Antetokounmpo had defiled the ideology of joining a super team in order to win a championship ring, as he won the NBA championship last season with an average Bucks team. He has, however, signed a contract extension that would keep him in the franchise for another five years. Which begs the question of him being able to do it again.
#3 Development on his weaknesses
Like every other player, Giannis Antetokounmpo is not without certain weaknesses that hamper his growth and weaken his game. Some of these weaknesses are his poor free throw and three-point accuracy.
During the NBA Finals, Antetokounmpo seemed to have been working on his free throws, as he successfully netted an average of 9.3 times from the charity stripe.
We have seen him continuously work on his game and we can't deny the possibility of him getting better at free throws and long-range jump shots over time. This will add to his already dominating gameplay and make him a lot more dangerous to any team he plays against. The 5-time All-Star has been caught saying he is only at 60% of his true potential and we believe him.
