Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken the next step with his shooting

The biggest critique of reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been his lack of a jump shot. However, 29 games into this season for the Milwaukee Bucks, the superstar has begun to silence the critics with eye-catching numbers.

During his rise to stardom with the Milwaukee Bucks, the most significant question mark for Giannis Antetokounmpo has been his jump shot, particularly from outside.

After averaging 25.6 percent from three-point range and winning the MVP award last season, there was speculation what the then 24-year-old could do if he added a consistent jump shot to his arsenal.

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In the offseason, Antetokounmpo stated that he was only at “60 percent” of his potential. The quote seemed crazy at first as he had just won the MVP award last season. Still, Giannis has been playing as if he has taken a big step forward to start this season. A little over a quarter way into the season, the forward is having another fantastic campaign, averaging 31.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on a per game basis.

Along with the sensational averages thus far, we are starting to see how deadly that jumper of his could be. Shooting a career-high 5.1 three-point attempts per game compared to 2.8 last year, Antetokounmpo is also making 34.2 percent on those attempts. Compared to his 25.6 percent from deep last season, this increase in makes has clearly shown Antetokounmpo had worked on his long-range game this offseason.

In the month of December, Antetokounmpo has been nothing short of phenomenal from beyond the arc, shooting 44.4 percent in 10 games. Giannis’ confidence continues to grow with each game, and with every attempt.

After shooting a less than stellar 1-of-6 from deep (16.7 percent) in a loss versus the Mavericks on December 16, Antetokounmpo rebounded in spectacular fashion.

In their very next game, the Milwaukee Bucks won against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 19 in a battle of the two best records in the league. The Bucks were victorious behind Antetokounmpo’s 34 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. However, what truly stood out was his outstanding shooting from deep, as Antetokounmpo shot a career-best 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from deep, showcasing on the biggest stage that he isn’t afraid to let it fly.

A familiar face witnessed this career shooting night in Milwaukee, as first-year Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd had a front row seat. The former All-Star player was the coach of the Bucks for three-and-a-half years, where he coached Antetokounmpo at the start of his NBA journey. Kidd famously banned Antetokounmpo from shooting three-pointers in his second season, so seeing him hit a career-high right in front of Kidd speaks volumes to the growth of Giannis.

The number of three-point makes is piling up at a fast rate for Antetokounmpo as well. In 72 games last season, the league MVP made a career-best 52 three-pointers. After 30 games this season, Giannis has already matched that tally. Not only has his production from deep gone up this year significantly, Antetokounmpo surprisingly leads the Milwaukee Bucks, along with Wesley Matthews, with those 52 makes from deep.

With that being said, the season is still in its relatively early stages, progressing toward the halfway point. Antetokounmpo’s three-point shooting has been truly impressive in his first 30 games, but whether he will able to maintain this groove throughout the rest of the season steadily will be the real test.

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At 25-years-old, there is still plenty of room to grow. If Antetokounmpo can sustain a consistent jump shot, he’ll easily win the MVP award again this season, and may well set up championship success for his team.

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