Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 bold predictions for the Finals MVP in 2021-22

Bold Prediction No. 3 – Giannis Antetokounmpo averages 30 points per game for the first time in his career in 2021-22

If Giannis Antetokounmpo can do the first two things mentioned and improve his free throws and mid-range jumpers, he absolutely could become a 30 point per game scorer. He has averaged over 28 points per game in each of the last two years, and that was with poor free throw shooting (63.3 percent in 2019 and 68.5 percent in 2020) and still a pretty limited offensive game.

If he had shot 70 percent from the free throw line in 2019, it would have brought his average up to 30.2 points per game, so this is clearly not out of the realm of possibility. This also does not account for any improvement with his jump shots, which opens up the rest of his game and makes him even more unguardable than he already is. With that improved jump shot-making, Giannis averaged 30.2 points per game in the 2021 playoffs, and that was while shooting 58.7 percent on free throws. If he can get both jumpers and free throws working together, it will get scary.

The one thing that definitely could keep Giannis from averaging 30 points per game or winning another MVP is his availability. There is a chance he rests more games and plays fewer minutes as a result of the long playoff run over the summer, his injury, and the Bucks’ long-term focus. If that is the case and his minutes keep him from scoring 30 per game, change this prediction to “Giannis averages 35 points per 36 minutes,” which would also be a career-high for him. He still has room to grow as an offensive player, and this could easily be his best season as an overall scorer.

One thing to note is that Giannis is currently 1,893 points away from becoming the Bucks’ all-time leading scorer. If he plays 65 games, which seems like a reasonable amount, he would need to average 29.1 points per game in order to break the record. So this prediction comes with a bonus prediction – Giannis becomes the all-time leading scorer for the Bucks at some point this season.

We all know Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be amazing yet again this year. As long as he stays healthy, he will once again receive some accolades and be among the league’s best players. It’s a matter of improving the little things in order to unlock his offensive game even further.