Giannis Antetokounmpo is used to having the ball at the head of the racket or near the circle. This season, Doc Rivers insists that his superstar receives the ball at the “elbows”, where the free throw line crosses the lines on the sides of the racket. This is what we saw in the Bucks’ victory in the NBA Cup final.
In recent NBA history, that placement was often Dirk Nowitzki’s office in Dallas or Paul Pierce’s with Boston. Doc Rivers also tried the same strategy with Joël Embiid in Philadelphia. But why?
“When we started the second half, we gave him the ball there over and over again. It allows him to see where the double takes are coming from, and it also allowed us to slow down the pace. We always talk about our size and I always say that the slower we play, the more imposing we become because we force the opponent to play half court, and that allows us to play to our strengths,” described Doc Rivers.
A decisive third quarter
In the third quarter, the Bucks made the difference by stuffing Giannis Antetokounmpo with balls to the elbows and their entire attack went through there.
Whether it was a basket or a foul caused by the Greek or a pass that triggered other movements, the Thunder never found the solution and Milwaukee left with the NBA Cup trophy. As for Giannis, he signed another big triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists. But it won’t count in the statistics…
“It’s different because you don’t see this kind of attack every night,” admitted Mark Daigneault after the meeting. “It’s rare to see players catch the ball and attack from the corner of the free throw line or play with post-ups like Giannis does. »
Despite the success of that night, Doc Rivers readily admitted that convincing Giannis Antetokounmpo took time. “Earlier in the season I don’t think he would have had the discipline to play like that, but now he does, and it makes us a lot better. »
A “weird” transition
From the top of his two regular season MVP titles, and his 2021 Finals MVP title, Giannis Antetokounmpo has won everything and like any self-respecting superstar, his voice counts in the only franchise he has known. While he has difficulty adapting to this new way of attacking, he now understands these advantages.
“It was a weird transition to be honest. But I talked with Doc and he explained to me that I could be even more effective from elbows because it prevents the opponent from building a wall to stop me because it’s too low on the ground. , and it also allows me to be closer to the circle,” describes the main person concerned. “I’ve been working all summer, and I’m starting to understand the nuances. It’s not just about scoring, I can also help my teammates better. It’s new for me but it’s been 25 matches now and I think I’m going to end my career in this position! »
The rest of the NBA may be worried if Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to progress.
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