Giannis Antetokounmpo He is already a great among the greats, but he is not resting on his laurels. He two-time MVP recently made his podcast debut “48 Minutes” and, there, he revealed that he plans to train with Hakeem Olajuwon before the 2023-2024 season to learn from the NBA legend.
“This season, for training camp, I have a trip prepared where I will go to Houston and try to train with Hakeem Olajuwon“Antetokounmpo said. “I love his game and if I can learn a few things from the days I will spend with him, it will be a blessing“.
Antetokounmpo is not the first player to look for the Olajuwon advice and it probably won’t be the last. Here’s why and what you can gain.
Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo training with Hakeem Olajuwon?
Olajuwon is one of the best players in NBA history. In addition to being a 12-time All-Star, two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP, he is one of three players to be named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
The other two who accomplished that rare feat? Michael Jordan and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A dominant player on offense and defense, Olajuwon is best known for his low post work. He is considered one of the best, if not the best, scorers in that area the league has ever seen.
They are footwork and touch are legendary and his usual movement – a set of feints and well-timed movements known as the Dream Shake– It was so effective that it received its own name.
Since he retired, several NBA players have visited Olajuwon in Houston to train with him. The star-studded list is headed by LeBron James y Kobe Bryant and has figures like Dwight Howard y Amar’e Stoudemire.
Next up is Antetokounmpo.
What can Giannis Antetokounmpo learn from Hakeem Olajuwon?
Antetokounmpo already does damage from the low post, but there is room for improvement.
Here are your points per game from the postsince becoming an All-Star, and how they compare to the rest of the league in terms of efficiency.
Season Points per game Possession Points Percentile 2016-2017 1,8 0,98 68,4 2017-2018 2,8 0,88 52,9 2018-2019 3,0 0,99 63,2 2019-2020 3,0 0,92 52,3 2020-2021 3,1 0,92 45,0 2021-2022 3,4 1,01 69,8 2022-2023 3,3 0,97 54,5
Bottom line: Antetokounmpo has had a couple of seasons where he’s flirted with being one of the NBA’s most efficient low-post scorers, but for the most part he’s been around league average.
Giannis is difficult to defend in that aspect for different reasons. with his size and spanthere’s not much markers can do against him one-on-one. If he gets close to the rim, he usually scores. He can overwhelm with his strength and define with his long arms.
Even interiors have trouble keeping Antetokounmpo out of the paint. The Greek has the speed to overcome them from the dribble, the can to withstand contact and athletic ability to finish on them.
Kristaps Porzingis is one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. Here, Antetokounmpo makes him look small.
Jaden McDaniels is an All-Defense caliber scorer. Antetokounmpo has no problem scoring against him.
Where Antetokounmpo may have problems is when his first option and he can’t reach the rim.
Especially in the 2022-2023 season, Antetokounmpo had problems scoring in the intermediate zones, around the painting. An important space for low post scorers. In fact, he was one of 95 players who attempted at least 150 shots from that short distance, but hit only the 27.9% of his shotswhich placed him in the last place of that group.
Compared, Nikola Jokicprobably the best post scorer in the NBA today, hit a huge 62,7% of his attempts from that range.
Antetokounmpo hasn’t always been so ineffective in that area. He even had one of the best Finals performances ever in 2021, largely because he was able to balance his powerful drives to the rim with hooks and other shots of that style. It just wasn’t a reliable shot for him last season.
It’s interesting to think about what you could do if you added a move like the Dream Shake.
Antetokounmpo’s jump shot also remains inconsistent. Much attention is paid to his mid- and long-distance percentages, but attempts at half-turn and withdrawal are more important for their development.
Mastering that shot would give Antetokounmpo a reliable answer to the defensive wall that so many teams offer. He would also give her a weapon she could fall back on, without putting so much effort into it. risk your body. Something that will become even more important when his athletic ability begins to decline.
It’s not that a session or two with Olajuwon is going to turn Antetokounmpo into a dominant post scorer overnight, but small improvements They will go a long way towards making him an even more complete player.
2023-09-14 17:28:28
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