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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.
#2 Giannis' improved shooting from downtown
While Giannis' game isn't dependent upon three point shooting, it certainly is worth developing in the future. As the league continues the trend of teams attempting over 30 three-point shots a game, players like Giannis need to have something worth calling a shot from deep.
Shooting 30.3% from deep for the 2020-21 season, Giannis' three-point stroke isn't reliable enough to put NBA defenses on notice. Defenders routinely stray away when he's behind the arc because he isn't a consistent threat.
A shot from deep will help Giannis keep defenders modest. It's the same situation as it was with the mid-range. If Giannis can shoot from the outside, defenders will have to respect that.
Should they commit to the shot in a catch-and-shoot situation, Giannis can easily blow past defenders with a pump fake and make a beeline for the rim. In those scenarios, he's practically unstoppable. Off the dribble, should defenders stray to prepare for the drive, a reliable shot from downtown is a punisher.
#3 Giannis learns to score and distribute with minimal effort
This falls under the the category of things Giannis should look at from a longevity standpoint. The issue with all the great athletic specimens is the toll their prowess takes on their body. While Giannis continues to push himself and develop as an individual, the point where it plateaus is when he'll have to get creative.
LeBron James countered the issue by adding a reliable turnaround fadeaway from the baseline and mid-post while also improving his three-point shooting. Kobe Bryant did the same. While Giannis is still in his prime and will be in his prime for a while, prolonging that state of excellence isn't the worst idea.
One way Giannis can do this is by adding some creative post moves to his offensive bag. His game in the low post right now is effective, but rudimentary.
He still relies on explosive drives to blow past defenders and the strength to overpower them. However, he showed patience in the post, which is a great sign for anyone looking to improve their post-up game.
Giannis is a highly conditioned specimen, however, his potential also makes him susceptible to getting exhausted quickly. He averaged 33 minutes per game last season which will likely go up in the 2021-22 season.
With the Bucks looking to repeat their success from the 2020-21 season, Giannis will have to get more creative with how he focuses his intensity and maintains his bursts of energy for when the game really needs it. Lesser wasted movement equals more energy in closing out games.
