Giannis Antetokounmpo, shoots a ton of free throws because of how often he drives into the paint. Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo made big change to his free throw mechanics

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 12/13/20

Despite winning his second MVP award last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still working hard to improve on the weaknesses in his game.

The Milwaukee Bucks star had noticeably different mechanics at the free throw line in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Dallas Mavericks. Antetokounmpo started his routine holding the ball lower and closer to his body in an apparent attempt to generate more power from his motion.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has made a significant adjustment on his free throw shooting technique/routine. He is getting his arms behind his body, to generate more power on his execution/release.

He shot 6/7 tonight… pic.twitter.com/PMUytKk01g

— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) December 13, 2020

When asked about the change on Sunday, Antetokounmpo downplayed it but admitted that he had indeed made a tweak during the offseason.

“No, there’s nothing different,” he said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I try not to think about it. Obviously, like a month and a half ago, yeah, I changed something, but now it’s in the past. I’m not thinking about [it]. This is how I shoot free throws right now. This is how I shoot the ball right now.”

Antetokounmpo, 26, shoots a ton of free throws because of how often he drives into the paint. But last season was the worst that he ever shot from the line, finishing the year at 63.3 percent. Antetokounmpo is still a 72.2 percent free throw shooter for his career though.

The four-time All-Star has gotten trolled over his misses at the line before. But with Antetokounmpo’s new shooting mechanics, maybe that will be a thing of the past now.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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