An appreciation post for Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2023-24 season
Death. Taxes. Giannis Antetokounmpo being taken for granted.
It has been another MVP-level season for the Greek Freak, who has put up 30.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game with the Milwaukee Bucks. While these are numbers we have become accustomed to Giannis putting up on a yearly basis, that doesn't make it any less impressive.
However, despite another dominant season and no other player in the league looking like the obvious MVP choice, Giannis is not getting a ton of love. He currently sits fourth in NBA.com's MVP ladder, trailing Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
An appreciation post for Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2023-24 season
It is understandable that Giannis might not win the MVP due to the Milwaukee Bucks being slightly disappointing and all of the drama that has surrounded this season. However, he has had a year comparable to any other MVP candidate, and the season he is having deserves more recognition.
Antetokounmpo is having his most efficient season ever... by far. His 61.4 field goal percentage destroys his previous best season of 57.8 percent, and he is on pace to be the first player EVER to average 30 points while shooting 60 percent from the field. His effective field goal percentage (62.8) and true shooting percentage (65.2) are also both easily the best of his career.
Among 88 instances in NBA history where a player averaged 30 points in a season, that 62.8 effective field goal percentage ranks second best, behind only Stephen Curry in 2016 when he was named the unanimous MVP, per Stathead (Subscription required). Essentially, this is one of the most efficient high-volume scoring seasons a player has ever had from the field.
Giannis has shot 60 percent or better from the field in 40 out of 69 games this season after doing so in just 23 out of 63 games last season. His bad games have been extraordinarily rare, shooting under 50 percent in just nine games compared to 20 games last season.
Most games with 30+ on 65% shooting in a season in NBA history (per @bball_ref):
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) March 31, 2024
23 - Giannis Antetokounmpo (23-24)
22 - Adrian Dantley (81-82)
21 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (70-71)
20 - Shaquille O’Neal (93-94)
18 - Charles Barkley (87-88)
Absurd 😳 pic.twitter.com/JuBaiaDTZc
A big reason for the insane efficiency this season has been Giannis Antetokounmpo's focus on doing what he does best, which is getting to the rim. He has settled for far fewer jumpers this season and embraced his strength as a dominant around-the-rim player.
Percentage of shots coming at the rim | Percentage of shots being jump shots | Percentage of shots being threes | |
|---|---|---|---|
2023-24 | 69.9% | 19.8% | 9.2% |
2022-23 | 63.5% | 25.9% | 13.4% |
2021-22 | 54.2% | 32.8% | 19.4% |
2020-21 | 55.7% | 29.9% | 20.1% |
2019-20 | 56.7% | 31.8% | 23.7% |
2018-19 | 63.3% | 27.1% | 16.3% |
As you can see, this is the first season where Giannis has really cut out a lot of the jumpers and just focused on getting to the rim where he excels. And he has excelled a LOT there this year, shooting a ridiculous 77.9 percent from the restricted area, tops in the league among players with at least 350 attempts. Antetokounmpo has been smarter and more calculated with what he wants to do on the court and the spots he wants to get to, and it has resulted in this insanely efficient season.
On top of the efficiency, Giannis Antetokounmpo is also having arguably his best season as a passer. He is averaging a career-high 6.4 assists per game and has racked up a career-high nine triple doubles already as a result. He is constantly making the right decisions and finding teammates for open looks on the perimeter.
And another thing being overlooked about Giannis' season are his clutch numbers. He currently is number one in Inpredictable's clutch player tracker and has a league-leading 65.8 effective field goal percentage on clutch shots. The attention that teammate Damian Lillard generates late in games has allowed Giannis to really thrive in clutch situations more than ever before, as he has more room to operate and is getting the ball in better position to score than ever before.
Giannis' free throw shooting in the clutch has also been surprisingly great, as he is shooting 80.7 percent on clutch free throws. In the final five minutes with the score within two points, he is a remarkable 15-of-16 from the line. It hasn't been perfect, as he recently missed two big free throws late against the Los Angeles Lakers, but for the most part, he has shown the ability to lock in from the line when it matters and hit big free throws.
Overall, despite putting up similar averages to what he has for the last five years, this has been the best season of Giannis Antetokounmpo's career. His efficiency, playmaking, and clutch shooting has been better than ever before, and he is truly having one of the most efficient high-volume scoring seasons we've ever seen.
Don't take Giannis Antetokounmpo for granted. If this level of dominance continues into the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks will be a tough team for anyone to beat.
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