Now in his 12th season in the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the greatest players of this generation. He is a two-time MVP, a one-time champion, a one-time Finals MVP, and a one-time Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, he is an eight-time All-NBA selection, a nine-time All-Star, and a five-time All-Defensive selection. The Greek native is one of the best players in the NBA and has shown no signs of slowing down. However, Antetokounmpo turned 30 years old in December. Even so, he has already revealed his plans that will hopefully extend his playing career.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Jamal Collier, Antetokounmpo spoke about his future outlook. The Bucks star revealed that he is prioritizing his jumpshot. According to Antetokounmpo, he must “be smarter” with his playstyle. Additionally, Antetokounmpo says that working on his jumpshot takes less of a toll on his body.
“I’ve worked on it,” Antetokounmpo told ESPN. “Guys are giving it to me. I got to shoot it because it’s less toll on my body. I got to shoot it, man.”
“I’m in my thirties, obviously, [and] I believe that I have four [to] six years, still, of good basketball to give, but I got to be smarter,” Antetokounmpo said. “I got to be smarter in the way I play.”
“Me shooting a bunch of 3s — which I would love; trust me, I love shooting the ball — but right now, that’s not what my team needs from me,” Antetokounmpo said. “I know I’m going to make big 3s, big shots. But that’s not my main focus. My main focus is to attack, facilitate, get the 15-footers all day long. If I have 20 of them, I’m going to take all 20 of them.”
Despite a slow start to the season, the Bucks are now 36-27 and own the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Much of their turnaround has to do with Antetokounmpo’s play. On the year, he is averaging 30.9 points, 12 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. Furthermore, he is shooting 60.5% from the field.
After winning the NBA Finals in 2021, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have yet to make it back to the conference finals. They will have a challenge in front of them this year to break this trend. However, if they can secure home-court advantage, the Bucks will have a good opportunity to make a deep playoff run.
With roughly a month remaining in the regular season, the Bucks are in a good spot. They sit firmly in the playoff picture and look like a top team in the Eastern Conference. As it stands, it would be difficult for the Bucks to outlast teams like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Still, as long as Antetokounmpo is on the roster, the Bucks will always have an opportunity to compete for a championship.
