Why Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo views himself as 'maverick' of NBA
04/01/2025 03:18 PM
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlike most NBA players, and he knows it.
In a league that is trending more and more toward 3-point shooting, Antetokounmpo stands out as a player whose proverbial bread is buttered in the paint. For that reason, the former two-time NBA MVP believes he is a maverick.
“Obviously, I'm kind of like the maverick of this league," Antetokounmpo told The Athletic’s David Aldridge. “My son's name is Maverick. So, yeah, the way the league is played right now, it's totally different from the way I play. A lot of 3s, a lot of early shots, early in the shot clock, fast offense, free flow, five-out offense. And it's totally different now. Would I like to play the game the way the game was played when I got in the league, when it was like, a little bit more, the pace was slower?”
When Antetokounmpo arrived in the NBA in 2013, it was common for teams to play inside-out, prioritizing post play of traditional centers.
“We tried to put the ball in the post,” Antetokounmpo said. “We had Greg Monroe; we tried to feed him the ball in the post. There was Al Jefferson in Charlotte, you had to get the ball in the post. You had Zaza Pachulia, and you just tried to play off of them.”
As a young player in the league, Antetokounmpo was part of a new breed of players who, despite being nearly 7 feet tall, could handle the ball and shoot from outside. During his rookie season, Antetokounmpo shot nearly 35% from 3-point range, which is still the highest mark of his career.
Over the years, though, Antetokounmpo has become bigger and stronger, and his perimeter shooting has regressed, which has, in turn, made him one of the most aggressive and reliable inside scorers in the league. This season, Antetokounmpo has more dunks (223) than any other player in the NBA. Additionally, more than 70% of his 1,207 field goal attempts have come within 10 feet of the rim despite a stark increase in quantity and efficiency from mid-range.
The Bucks finish up a three-game homestand tonight when they host the Phoenix Suns.
The post Why Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo views himself as ‘maverick’ of NBA appeared first on ClutchPoints.
