Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo's mid-range was a thing of beauty, helping to expand his game on offense. However, this season, when he has played, that aspect of his arsenal has been nowhere to be found. He's still been productive overall, but the lack of a reliable mid-range shot has made things easier for opposing defenses compared to how things were in 2024-25.
The Greek Freak's mid-range has been poor this season
This season, Giannis is shooting 9-of-41 (22 percent) on his mid-range jumpers. Among all players to attempt at least 30 mid-range shots this season, the Greek Freak ranks dead last in the NBA in overall success percentage-wise. Just when it felt like the forward had developed a new tool, he hasn't quite had the same success this season.
For context, he shot 125-of-283 (44.2 percent) on his mid-range jumpers last season. His 125 makes were the fifth-most in the entire league, trailing only a handful of mid-range maestros, including the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Durant. Defenses didn't know whether they should pack the paint or go close out on him in the mid-range. It opened up his game so much.
This lack of success has also hindered Giannis Antetokounmpo's scoring production. Last season, 30.4 points per game, tied for the second most of his career. This year, he is averaging 28.9 points, his fewest since the 2020-21 campaign. He's been his usual dominant self in the paint, so it's clear that he's leaving points on the table due to the mid-range.
While the mid-range hasn't been great, the Greek Freak has found success in a new area: 3-pointers. On the year, he's shooting 10-of-23 (43.5 percent) on such shots. To highlight how impressive that is, he made just 14 triples in 67 games last season. If he can make that three-ball as consistent as his mid-range was last season, the forward could certainly take his game to another level.
Yet, in reality, that seems pretty far-fetched.
Part of the reason Giannis' mid-range hasn't been up to par could be due to the inconsistency with which he has battled this season. He's been in and out of the lineup due to injury, preventing him from getting into a groove. Once he returns, granted that he does opt to suit up for the Milwaukee Bucks again, perhaps he will start knocking them down with regularity once more.
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