Milwaukee Bucks: Trainer Highlights 1 Basic Change Giannis Antetokounmpo Must Make in His Game

A career 69.3% shooter from the stripe, Giannis will never be one of the game’s better free-throw makers, but is there a way he can return to the upper 60s?

In the interview, Johnson observed that Antetokounmpo believes playmaking is the area he needs to work on as he continues to grow his game. Already a bona fide point-forward, he has averaged 6.5 assists each of the past two seasons and at least 5.5 in seven straight. If Giannis becomes an even savvier facilitator, knowing precisely when and where to pass the rock and when to take it himself, the rest of the league should watch out.

Giannis Could Benefit from Re-Working His Shooting Motion

Asked what growth area he would target, Simplis took a different route.

I would be working on the connection between his lower body and his top. I believe in sequence when you’re shooting. If you ever notice Giannis at the free throw line, by the time the ball reaches the shot pocket, his legs are fully extended. There’s no synergy between his hips and elbow. I believe those work in alignment.

Come to think of it, Giannis does have a uniquely kinky motion at the stripe, holding onto the ball for an extra beat before the release. Marionette-like, the final motion can seem a bit disjointed, lagging behind an otherwise fluid process. Any fundamental irregularities, however, do not explain Giannis’ percentage drop-off, not simply between the past two seasons but between the last three and the two prior (2020-21, ’21-22). Perhaps the change in technique Simplis describes could set his form right.

Simplis says he tackled the same thing with Nets center Nic Claxton two years ago.

“We just worked on pocket, then hips. … Giannis adds that to his game, he becomes even more dynamic.”

Claxton might not be a star pupil – after a small uptick, his percentage also went down four points this year – but Simplis’ advice holds true in principle. (Claxton’s percentages are also subject to higher variance due to his low volume of attempts.)

No doubt a reliable free throw stroke would do Giannis wonders as he pursues an ever-higher level of superstardom.