Giannis Could Continue to Improve

Ever since coming into the NBA as 19-year-old, Giannis Antetokounmpo has improved every season, and that trend could continue. Considering how he was already in historic company with his production from last season, a further increase in his output from an already ridiculous level would surely put him in the MVP conversation.

The progression that Giannis has made throughout his career has been fascinating. He went from averaging 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists as a rookie, to 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 2014-15, to 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 2015-16, to 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 2016-17, and to 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 2017-18. It could get interesting if this trend continues.

The improvements that Antetokounmpo has made is not just limited to his volume production. His scoring efficiency has improved in each season of his career. For reference, on his scoring possessions, he produced 0.832 points per possession in 2013-14, 0.93 points per possession in 2014-15, 0.96 points per possession in 2015-16, 1.031 points per possession in 2016-17, and 1.058 points per possession in 2017-18.

While Antetokounmpo is an extraordinary talent, there are still plenty of ways for him to improve. It starts with his jump shot. For reference, jump shots accounted for 39.5% of his shot attempts from within the half-court last season, and he produced only 0.762 points per possession on those attempts. His efficiency ranked last by a 0.032 margin out of the 75 players with at least 400 of these possessions.

There are plenty of ways that Antetokounmpo can improve as an offensive threat, which is absurd considering how he was already such an efficient scorer last season. It’s tough to bet against a player with the work ethic that Giannis has and considering his track record too. I will have a more detailed analysis article soon focusing on how he can improve.

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