A smoother and more lethal shot for Giannis Antetokounmpo? | NBA

Giannis Antetokounmpo may have scared opponents for at least four years, the room for improvement of the “Greek Freak” remains real, especially in terms of his shoot, which has never been reliable outside the racket. A finding that is confirmed with regard to his career 3-point percentage, culminating in a small 28.7% success rate.

At the start of each season, the specter of seeing a Giannis Antetokounmpo land with an even more robust offensive register, with a more reliable outside shoot, frightens the competition.

An improvement noted by Khris Middleton

The moment dreaded by the rest of the league may well have arrived this season, with the Bucks star showing impressive skills in his last two preseason games against Utah and Dallas. Two performances that did not escape his first lieutenant, Khris Middleton.

“I think his shooting has improved every year and his confidence has increased. He has spent many hours this summer working on this aspect of his game, as he does every year. I hope he can continue to read the way the defense makes him play, and that he will be able to mix his game a little more » he said after the last preseason game against Dallas, adding that in addition to being able to finish close to the circle, Giannis Antetokounmpo could now sanction opposing defenses from afar, saying to himself: “If you walk away from me, I’ll shoot and I can do it.”

On his last two outings, not only did the Greek return four of his five 3-point attempts, but Giannis Antetokounmpo also distinguished himself in shooting at mid-distance and back to the basket, having notably scored a very technical basket against in Utah, five meters after leaving on his right. While its size and wingspan make it almost impossible to counter and its physical dimension remains its main strength, number 34 could thus become completely unplayable if it adds this new string to its bow.

Confidence and good habits

Still, if the gesture seems more fluid, this progress requires confirmation, and that the interested party first gets down to making the right choices, possession after possession.

“The goal is always to progress, individually and as a team”, he launched in the introduction of his post-match press conference. “I’m just trying to make good decisions, that’s all. There are days when you could say I’m very confident, but there will be other days when I don’t put those shots, and it will be said that I lost confidence. All I care about is making the right decisions. You are open, you take the shot. A player arrives at you, take a drive. A two-way strike happens, passes the ball. That’s it, keep making the right choices, over and over again, until it becomes a habit ”.

The first full-size regular season test will also take place on Tuesday for the Bucks, with the reception of Brooklyn, where one of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s offensive models: Kevin Durant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtdb8SIsX2E