Giannis Antetokounmpo is still not a finished product.
That sounds absurd when you consider the “Greek Freak” has amassed 18,868 career points, two MVPs and one Finals MVP all before his 30th birthday. But to assume he is already the best version of himself is not true. For years, analysts implored Antetokounmpo to improve his pull-up jumper, arguing that a reliable jump shot would help him become more dominant — if that’s even possible.
To Antetokounmpo’s credit, he never shied away from the fact that a weak jump shot was the only chink in his armor. He went to the lab this past offseason, no different than any other summer, and worked tirelessly on his jumper. And the fruits of his labor are finally starting to pay off.
During his season-high 59-point game on Wednesday, the Greek star made three jumpers in the OT period — two from midrange and one from three — as the Bucks avoided an embarrassing loss to the Pistons. For the game, he shot 21-of-34, with 11 of those makes coming from outside the paint area. That’s an unprecedented shot chart for a player who typically attempts two-thirds of his field goals in the restricted area upon bulldozing his way to the rim.
