Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 factors that have contributed to erratic start

Giannis Antetokounmpo is shooting more with mixed results

If Antetokounmpo is getting to the basket less often, that reflexively means he’s shooting more away from the paint and beyond.

The push to make Antetokounmpo more of a shooting threat has long followed him since former head coach Jason Kidd instructed a young Greek superstar to eschew such looks from his shot profile. As opposing defenses have grown more comfortable sagging off of the two-time MVP in order to pack the paint against him, Antetokounmpo has put in plenty of hours trying to turn his jump shot into a viable part of his game.

This, in turn, has led to a self-fulfilling prophecy, especially as Antetokounmpo has continued to pull up more looks off the dribble from both mid-range and 3-point range.

This season, Antetokounmpo is shooting 30.9 percent on his 69 3-point attempts and is 14-for-37 on mid-range looks (37.8 percent). More worrisome, Antetokounmpo’s 45.1 effective field goal percentage on his 92 pull-up attempts (per Second Spectrum) is the ninth-worst mark of high-volume pull up shooters around the league.

It’s not even in these areas where Antetokounmpo’s shooting deficiencies shine the brightest as he’s slipped considerably when making his way to the free throw line so far.

Despite all these concerns and poor marks, Antetokounmpo is still posting a 59.4 true shooting percentage on the season, which is well below the marks he logged in his MVP seasons (64.4 percent in 2018-19, 61.3 percent in 2019-20). That certainly speaks to his potent finishing around the basket as he’s converting 74.8 percent of his 127 attempts within the restricted area.

It should come as no surprise that the further Antetokounmpo has drifted from his preferred spots on the court, it leads to the bouts of ineffectiveness we’ve increasingly seen from him this season. To play at the highly efficient level that he has to play at, Antetokounmpo will have to cut out some of the paltry shots he continues to put up night in, night out.