Bucks' Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win

12/20/2024 05:26 PM

LAS VEGAS, NV — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Cup on Tuesday night, finishing the job they were unable to last season.

But this version of Antetokounmpo appears to be different than any we’ve seen of him before. He’s still the dominant “Greek Freak” everyone around the world knows, but the two-time MVP and NBA Finals MVP appears to have improved remarkably at age 30.

Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis on Giannis Antetokounmpo after NBA Cup win

Through the first quarter of the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-high and league-leading 32.7 points per game on a career-high 61.4 percent shooting from the field.

“He’s just always hungry, he’s never complacent, and he’s never plateaued,” Brook Lopez told ClutchPoints after the Bucks’ NBA Cup win. “He’s the best player in the world and he’s always trying to get better. Every offseason, every day. Aside from all the talent, all the amazing plays he makes, just to see how hard he plays, how he gets on the floor, the way he goes after blocked shots, rebounds, making all the hustle plays. You just have to follow his lead.”

Through 25 games, Antetokounmpo is taking fewer than one three-pointer per game (0.7) for only the second time in his career, the first of which came in his sophomore season when he took 0.5 per game.

However, three-pointers are taking up just 3.5 percent of Giannis’ shots, which is down from 9.1 percent last year and is by far the lowest three-point volume of his NBA career.

The Bucks’ star also leads the league in points in the paint at 21.5 points per game, which if over four points higher than second place Nikola Jokic at 17.3 paint points per game.

“I mean, he’s only ever gotten better,” Brook Lopez added to ClutchPoints. “In his career in the NBA and obviously since I’ve been here as well, he’s never gotten complacent, he’s the best player in the world, he’s always trying to reach that next level, and he always does. It’s truly, truly inspirational, its really amazing.”

Going into this past summer, head coach Doc Rivers told his superstar that he wants to play him more out of the elbow in post-up and face-up situations. The team struggled out of the gate, losing eight of their first 10 games and sending everyone but the team into a frenzy.

Since then, however, the Bucks have won 13 of their last 16 games, including the NBA Cup final against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giannis, who has not shot under 50 percent or scored under 20 points even once this season, has been a significant part of the Bucks turnaround.

Antetokounmpo has been leading the NBA in points in the paint per game for three seasons in a row, and in six of the last eight seasons, but he’s taken a personal jump in each of the last four seasons (via NBA.com/stats):

• 21.5 paint points in 2024-25 (1st)
• 20.3 paint points in 2023-24 (1st)
• 18.8 paint points in 2022-23 (1st)
• 15.9 paint points in 2021-22 (3rd, behind Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic)
• 16.7 paint points in 2020-21 (2nd, behind Zion Williamson)
• 17.5 paint points in 2019-20 (1st)
• 17.5 paint points in 2018-19 (1st)
• 15.7 paint points in 2017-18 (1st)

Additionally, Antetokounmpo is now taking 56.4 percent of his shots from inside of three feet, which is also up for four consecutive seasons. According to Stathead, here is Antetokounmpo’s shot volume from 0-3 feet in the last four seasons:

• 40.6 percent in 2021-22
• 48.0 percent in 2022-23
• 51.9 percent in 2023-24
• 56.4 percent in 2024-25

It’s also no coincidence that as his points in the paint totals increase over the last four seasons, the volume of three-point shooting by Giannis has also decreased as well. In 2019-20, three-pointers made up 23.7 percent of Antetokounmpo’s shot volume. According to Stathead, that number has decreased significantly year over year since.

• 23.7 percent in 2019-20
• 20.1 percent in 2020-21
• 19.4 percent in 2021-21
• 13.4 percent in 2022-23
• 9.1 percent in 2023-24
• 3.5 percent in 2024-25

Simply put, the Bucks’ star is no longer taking three-pointers and is playing from the elbow as well as in the paint much more.

Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted that playing out of the elbow is something he’s needed some time to transition into, especially as the team incorporates Damian Lillard more and welcomes back Khris Middleton from injury. But Giannis has seen his success grow throughout the early portions of this season.

“I’ll be honest, in the beginning, I’ve never initiated my offense from the elbow or from the high post,” Antetokounmpo said after the NBA Cup win. “Usually, it’s in transition or in the screen and roll, so it was kind of a weird transition. I had the conversation with Doc and he told me it can be very, very effective when you’re at the elbow, you’re under the wall. It’s very hard for people to show crowds. And then when they show crowds, it’s easier for you to make that pass and you’re one step closer to the basket.

“This whole summer, I was working on that and it’s not only about scoring. There’s levels to it. sometimes, you can facilitate, you can make the hockey assists to [Gary Trent Jr.] for the open three, you can create shots for yourself, you can get to the free throw line, but I think it just allowed me to be a little bit more effective down there and allows me to help my teammates be great. It’s something new for me. I’ve played in the elbow for 25 games. I think I will stay there for the rest of my career because I’m getting better. I’m getting better at it.”

Both Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis add that Antetokounmpo’s growth has come both on and off the basketball court.

“He’s just getting better every year,” Bobby Portis also told ClutchPoints after the NBA Cup. “It seems like [he does] every year I play with him. This is my fifth year playing with him now and every year I’ve played with him, I’ve seen him go to another level. Not just on the court, but as a leader. Like I said, my first four years I’ve played, he was more of a lead by example type of guy. Now he’s more of a vocal leader, telling guys what to do, where to be, pouring confidence into his teammates. I love this version of him.”

The Bucks didn’t celebrate their NBA Cup win with champagne, beer, and goggles like the Los Angeles Lakers did last season. Instead, the team took a very Giannis-like approach, enjoying the moment but remaining focused on the remainder of the regular season.

Damian Lillard is playing a big part in the Bucks run. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis know what they need to do in order to win a second NBA Championship.

But Milwaukee will only go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo is able to take them, and his newfound usage is already proving to be a difference maker.

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