Yardbarker
x
59-point game shows Giannis Antetokounmpo is still evolving
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

59-point game shows Giannis Antetokounmpo is still evolving

Giannis Antetokounmpo is still not a finished product.

That sounds absurd when you consider the "Greek Freak" has amassed 18,868 career points, two MVPs and one Finals MVP all before his 30th birthday. But to assume he is already the best version of himself is not true. For years, analysts implored Antetokounmpo to improve his pull-up jumper, arguing that a reliable jump shot would help him become more dominant — if that's even possible.

To Antetokounmpo's credit, he never shied away from the fact that a weak jump shot was the only chink in his armor. He went to the lab this past offseason, no different than any other summer, and worked tirelessly on his jumper. And the fruits of his labor are finally starting to pay off. 

During his season-high 59-point game on Wednesday, the Greek star made three jumpers in the OT period — two from midrange and one from three — as the Bucks avoided an embarrassing loss to the Pistons. For the game, he shot 21-of-34, with 11 of those makes coming from outside the paint area. That's an unprecedented shot chart for a player who typically attempts two-thirds of his field goals in the restricted area upon bulldozing his way to the rim.

In fact, his drastically-improved jumper has held him in good stead for much of the young season. Through 10 games, Antetokounmpo is converting on a respectable 41.3 percent of his pull-up shots (1.9 FGM from 4.6 FGA). In comparison, he shot 31.5 percent on pull-ups last season (1.2 FGM from 3.7 FGA). 

The Bucks star will never turn into a sniper like Kevin Durant. But a marginal improvement in his pull-up game is all he needs to become all the more un-guardable, especially in the playoffs when coaches build "a wall" to stop him from getting to the rim. And he possesses the work ethic to turn into that exact player, if he hasn't already. 

Antetokounmpo is primed to become the only player to average 30 PPG on 60% shooting for two consecutive seasons. 

And he's still not a finished product. 

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!