The Milwaukee Bucks have begun picking it up in recent weeks of the 2021-22 NBA season. They have been hit hard by the injury bug, but as their rotation players have returned to the lineup, the wins have started rolling in.
Milwaukee is currently riding a seven-game winning streak, which has vaulted them up into the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference. During that stretch, former league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been rolling.
He recorded a double-double in four of the games, including a dominant 32-point, 20-rebound performance against the Orlando Magic in which he also handed out five assists with three steals and two blocks.
That followed a 19-rebound performance that Antetokounmpo had against the Oklahoma City Thunder the night before.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Senses Relief From Winning NBA Title
Milwaukee’s winning streak was kicked off against the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that the Greek Freak scored 47 points in. Los Angeles had no answer for him, as he made 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 8-of-11 from the foul line.
If Giannis can make those adjustments to his offensive game shooting-wise, he will be unstoppable. He is a force in the paint already with teams sagging off and daring him to shoot perimeter shots. If that jumper becomes consistent, watch out.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Senses Relief From Winning NBA Title
Antetokounmpo would love to continue bullying teams in the paint, but he knows his game needs to continue developing to maximize the Milwaukee Bucks’ half-court offense. He recently discussed it and said it is something he is working on so if teams take away his production in the paint, he can still help the team win.
“Obviously I’m trying to get better, I’m trying to expand my game,” he said. “I know in the past years I’ve tried to be as efficient as much as possible, and if you get easy ones close to the rim, it helps. When you get easy dunks and transition layups, it helps. But at the end of the day, I’ve said this in the past, too, if I can get 15 layups I’ll try to get 15 layups. I’ll take that any night. “But I realize that I’ve got to keep getting better. I’ve got to shoot some turnaround jump shots, I’ve got to shoot some midrange, I’ve got so shoot some threes, I’ve got to shoot some off the dribble. I just gotta feel comfortable and confident to do that because I know down the stretch, in the playoffs, in the big games, in the games that matter the most, if I cannot get into the paint I gotta feel confident I can still help my team execute offensively.”
Diversifying his game offensively will only make things easier for him and the Milwaukee Bucks on that end of the court.
Teams are already spread out by the shooter Mike Budenholzer surrounds him with, but it would be that much more difficult to defend Milwaukee if opposing teams had to also worry about Giannis Antetokounmpo connecting with some regularity from the perimeter as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Senses Relief From Winning NBA Title
Being comfortable on the perimeter should also help keep him fresh throughout the season and elongate his career. All of the banging inside takes a toll on a player, so if there are any ways for him to minimize that taxing, he should explore them.
