Milwaukee Bucks 2018-19 Season Review: Giannis Antetokounmpo
By Adam McGee
The worst of Antetokounmpo
It’s difficult to pick out too many flaws in what will, in all likelihood, end up being an MVP winning season, but there are certainly some areas where, from his exceptionally high standards, Antetokounmpo will look back on with disappointment.
Those who watched the Bucks throughout the season likely spotted signs of improvement in Giannis’ three-point shooting, particularly in spot-up scenarios, but the numbers don’t bear that out due to his immense struggles early in the season.
Prior to the All-Star break, Antetokounmpo attempted just 2.5 triples per game and made only 22.3 percent, while after the break both attempts and percentages rose to 3.8 and 31.5 percent respectively.
Free throws remain an issue for Giannis too, as I’ll discuss in greater detail later, but his struggles in that area may well be attributable to pressure considering how there’s a pattern of his percentages dropping significantly in the playoffs at this point.
Dealing with pressure and becoming more composed may well come as a natural progression for the Bucks as a team, and that development will need to start with the team’s leader. Antetokounmpo also struggled at times against double teams in the playoffs, most notably against the Raptors. There are plenty of lessons to be taken from how the season ended, and there’s little doubt that Antetokounmpo will spend his summer taking those lessons onboard.