Giannis Antetokounmpo Diversifies Offensive Game With More Finesse Finishes

Giannis Antetokounmpo treats the regular season like a dressing room at a clothing store. He shops around, looking at all the different items before he finds something he likes. Then, he picks one off the rack and takes it back to try it on. If it fits, great! If not, he’ll scrap it and move on.

That’s a luxury only the best players in the game can afford. While most others are trying to prove themselves from October to April, he’s just trying things on for size.

Antetokounmpo returns to the NBA year after year with an improved bag, as hoopers call it. That’s helped him expand his game and rise from being the Most Improved Player to one of the All-Time greats. In 10 NBA seasons (including this year), he’s improved his points per game in all but one. His effective field goal percentage has also risen in eight of them. That’s progress.

This year, it’s apparent one of the features he’s working on is his finesse finishes around the basket. As he gets closer and closer to his 30s, his game will have to evolve if he wants to stay at the top of the basketball totem pole. That work begins now.

Through the first five games of the Bucks’ season, he’s showed off a more diverse finishing package around the rim. We all know he can hammer it home on anyone and everyone, but he’ll need to find craftier ways to score around the hoop if he wants to preserve his body for the long-term (both this season and beyond).

One of the aspects that makes Antetokounmpo great is his ability to finish with either hand around the rim. He no issue going right or left and finishing with whatever hand he needs to. This keeps defenders on their toes and guessing which direction he’ll attack.

Antetokounmpo is also doing a better job at avoiding contact this season. Instead of barreling through everyone, he’ll go around them from time to time. This leaves defenses in shock, as they prepare themselves for contact on every play.

As Antetokounmpo brings the ball across half court in the clip above, Day’Ron Sharpe back pedals toward the free throw line to give himself space and time to react (at some point, we’ll have to have a conversation about whether defenders should shrink that space instead of allowing Anetokounmpo a runway to get started). The Greek Freak sizes up his man at the free throw line as he shifts his dribble from his right to left hand.

Kevin Durant leaves too much of a gap on the left lane line, allowing Antetokounmpo to attack Sharpe’s right shoulder. Sharpe prepares for contact, thinking he’s about to be ran over by a freight train. But the hit never comes as Antetkounmpo continues to drive perpendicular to the baseline before releasing a lofty lefty floater that finds nothing but net.

This type of finesse finish is an emerging aspect of Antetokounmpo’s game. In the past, he might’ve tried to right through Sharpe’s chest and finish through contact at the rim. Although that will still happen, he’s working on expanding his finishing repertoire. Heck, he’s even throwing up some floaters this season.

Okay, so the floater game needs work. A lot of work. But we shouldn’t question Antetokounmpo and what he’ll do to make it an effective part of his game.

Through the first five games of the season, the Bucks’ unquestioned leader has been on a terror. He’s scored the most points of any three-game stretch in his career and followed it up by scoring the most points of any four-game stretch. He’s playing with fools out there.

Antetokounmpo used the first half against the Nets as his personal dressing room. He was trying on pull-up jumpers and working on his game to a putrid nine pints on 3-for-10 shooting. With the Bucks losing by double-digits, he decided it was time to check out. He unleashed a scoring barrage and relentless attack on the rim that resulted in 34-point second half on 13-for-15 shooting.