Giannis Antetokounmpo: Free Throws
The leaps and bounds Antetokounmpo has taken each successive season in the NBA are incredible. He has transformed into a fully-fledged star and one of the top players in the league at just 23 years old.
Picking on his free throws is a minor quibble. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.8 points per game, which is good enough for second-best in the league. He’s shooting 75.3 percent on free throws, which is fine.
But in his last 10 games, he only has a 65.8 percent free throw success rate. It hasn’t mattered much up until now, but for a rim-attacking athlete like Antetokounmpo who averages 9.1 free throw attempts per game, these are free points that should be taken full advantage of.
A lack of focus at the line has hurt Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the past. Prior to this season, Adam McGee wrote about Giannis’ free throw struggles, pointing out his disappointing 54.3 percent shooting from the line in last year’s playoffs.
As of now, his recent struggles at the line are just a minor blip, but Antetokounmpo needs to refine his focus so it’s not a problem come playoff time.