Milwaukee Bucks: Revisiting Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2019-20 season so far

Milwaukee Bucks: Revisiting Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2019-20 season so far – One big question moving forward

All throughout the 2019-20 season, Antetokounmpo has tried to prove that he’s able to be a threat hitting shots from distance or just away from the rim.

That concerted effort has seen Antetokounmpo launch more 3-pointers (271) than he’s ever attempted before in a season and he’s hit such shots at a 30.6 percent clip. Additionally, no Bucks player has attempted more pull-up triples this season than Antetokounmpo and he’s connected on 28.5 percent of those 200 attempts, per NBA.com/stats.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s efforts and increased volume to expand his game to beyond the arc, the issue still remains whether the Bucks’ opponents will respect the reigning MVP’s range and shooting ability. And if not, how does Antetokounmpo’s confidence look moving forward, especially as the Bucks go into the postseason and possessions have more weight behind them the further they progress.

That’s not the only aspect of Antetokounmpo’s shooting capabilities that will be tested in the games moving forward as his free throw efficiency will be under great scrutiny. That comes after he has shot a career-worst 63.3 percent from the foul line, despite averaging 10 free throw attempts per game.

Dating back to the Bucks’ playoff run last year and carrying over his struggles during last year’s FIBA World Cup in China, Antetokounmpo’s shakiness from the free throw line has been an uncomfortable trend for more than a year now.

For as all-encompassing as Antetokounmpo’s talents and skills are, he doesn’t come without some notable deficiencies. And how he responds and/or overcomes such challenges with his shooting stroke will be fascinating to watch over the next few months.

Stay tuned as we’ll dive into the season so far for each Bucks player over the following couple of weeks as we near closer to the 2019-20 season restart here at Behind the Buck Pass.