He's been called an unskilled, bagless, run-and-dunk man. We've heard it all before.
But as of this moment, it's official: Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best long mid-range shooter in the NBA, and teams are powerless to stop it. That's not us talking; that's what the stats say.
The Greek Freak has made a career out of defying expectations, so this one probably shouldn't be that surprising at this point.
From his meteoric rise as the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft to a two-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and NBA champion, the "Greek Freak" has consistently rewritten our conventional ideas of what a dominant power forward looks like, especially in today's NBA.
But his latest transformation might be his most shocking yet: Giannis is statistically the NBA's best long midrange shooter this season, leading in both efficiency (49.3 percent) while being tied for second in attempts (behind only DeMar DeRozan) among starters taking at least two shots per game from 15 to 19 feet. That's according to his shooting dashboard on NBA.com/stats.
In an era where analytics often dismiss midrange shots as inefficient, Giannis is thriving in the "dead zone" of modern basketball. To put it into perspective, Giannis shot just 34 percent on 1.4 attempts per game from the same range a season ago.
Going from inefficient to the absolute best in the league is proof that this leap isn’t just improvement—it’s a reinvention. Much has been said to this point about his improvement in the midrange, but nobody thought Giannis Antetokounmpo would reach these heights.
Giannis' latest step makes the Milwaukee Bucks virtually unstoppable
Once upon a time, defenders used to sag off the Greek Freak, daring him to shoot. Now, if you give him space at the elbow or baseline, he’s burying jumpers with deadly consistency.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ offense is built for versatility, and Giannis’ midrange mastery means defenses can’t just build a wall at the rim anymore. Add Damian Lillard's deep shooting, and Milwaukee’s offensive toolkit looks borderline unstoppable.
For years, critics unfairly labeled Giannis as a one-dimensional player who dominated through athleticism alone. While his brute force still plays a huge role, this stat proves he’s far more than a physical marvel. He’s added finesse to his game, showing he’s willing to put in the work to address his weaknesses—something that separates the greats from the legends.
The Milwaukee Bucks are betting big on Giannis, and he’s betting on himself to evolve. This mid-range leap makes Milwaukee even more dangerous and cements Giannis' place as the league’s most unpredictable superstar.
Every great player evolves, and this leap is another piece of Giannis Antetokounmpo's case as one of the all-time greats.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.