Milwaukee Bucks: Is Giannis Antetokounmpo the MVP So Far?
By Robby Cowles
Improve his shooting
The second box on the MVP list regards Giannis’ shooting. Unfortunately, this is the first test that Giannis has failed.
Despite Giannis having his best season in total shooting from the floor, his outside shooting numbers have been abysmal. Shooting just 17 percent on 2.4 three-point attempts per game, this has been Giannis’ worst season in terms of shooting the three overall
After shooting upward of 30 percent on threes last season, Giannis’ stroke has cratered to its lowest in years and by far the worst in terms of percentage and total volume.
However, his three-point shooting doesn’t tell the full story. From a distance of 10-16 feet, Giannis is shooting 35 percent, which would be one of the best marks of his career, especially considering the much higher volume compared to his earlier years.
From 16 feet to the three-point line, Giannis is shooting 41 percent, easily the highest of his career. Looking at his distribution from the paint stretching outside, Giannis is actually having the best shooting season of his career.
It’s when he steps behind that three-point line where his shot falters. Last season, Giannis shot 34 percent from 16 feet out to the three-point line and 30 percent from three. This season, he’s shooting 41 percent from the deep two area to the arc but just 17 percent behind it.
What this means is that it’s not common for Giannis’ jumper to drop so drastically once he steps behind the line. It points to the drop being more of a mental obstacle than a physical one.
Giannis is clearly capable of making long jumpers, but once his feet get behind the three-point line it’s clear that something happens that causes him to miss.
Giannis and Budenholzer are both confident in Giannis’ shooting ability and claim it’s a matter of “when” and not “if” he starts making them.
Based on these stats, I’m inclined to agree. If Giannis starts to see those shots consistently go down over a couple of games, it could be a light-switch moment where everything clicks and sparks a turnaround in his shooting over the second half of the season.
As for his MVP campaign, with Giannis’ improvement in every other aspect of his game and the success of the team, it’s hard to see his three-point percentage costing him many votes.
However, if he begins to shoot more consistently down the stretch, causing NBA fans and voters to take notice, that could be what puts him over the top as the MVP favorite.