Matt Velazquez

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

You've heard it from NBA players and from coaches. The same refrain came from everyone from talking heads to Twitter eggs. Heck, if you're an NBA fan, you've probably verbalized some variation of this declaration at some point yourself.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo can improve his outside shooting, he'll be unstoppable.

Antetokounmpo has heard the talk. He's watched for years as defenders have sagged off him, daring him to shoot instead of taking their chances with him dribbling into the paint.

In the past, Antetokounmpo's mindset was he wasn't going to settle for jumpers. They were all but served up to him on a silver platter and he couldn't shoot every time down the court. So instead, he would try to force his way into the lane, sometimes drawing two or three defenders as he ventured into the teeth of the defense trying to make a play.

That's all about to change. The age of Antetokounmpo embracing the three-point shot is nigh.

"I was trying to make plays, but this year, I’m shooting," Antetokounmpo said, fresh off an extended three-point shooting session following Wednesday's shootaround in Oklahoma City.

"I’ve worked so much this summer on it and day by day I get more comfortable. I’m going to shoot more shots and hopefully I make more. If I don’t, there’s another year coming and hopefully next year I can be better and better and better and better and better. Eventually, it’s going to come.”

To this point in his career, Antetokounmpo has been a reticent three-point shooter. He's attempted 1.7 three-pointers per game over his five-year career, going 168 for 591 (28.4%). There's been a noticeable hesitation in his shot, with him only looking comfortable from certain spots and with a certain amount of space.

Antetokounmpo's slow development could be traced to former Bucks coach Jason Kidd's handling of his star. Kidd, who handed the keys to Antetokounmpo early in his tenure and undoubtedly helped form Antetokounmpo into the positionless, versatile juggernaut he is now, took a slow track on expanding Antetokounmpo's shooting game.

After Antetokounmpo shot 34.7% on 118 three-point attempts as a rookie, Kidd told him to stop shooting from outside. That took a toll on Antetokounmpo.

"I think it was my second year he told me not to shoot the ball," Antetokounmpo said. "Then my third year, at the end of the year, he told me to shoot the ball a little bit. In my fourth year, he let me shoot the ball and in my fifth year he told me, ‘You have the green light, do whatever you want,’ but I wasn’t comfortable enough. It’s hard. When you’re not shooting the ball, it’s hard to get back (to shooting)."

Antetokounmpo went from shooting a career-high 2.3 threes per game in 2016-'17 to just 1.8 per game last season, though he did get his percentage back over 30% (30.7%) for the first time since his rookie year. Still, his discomfort was apparent in his very calculated shot selection, which was limited to a couple spots beyond the arc, particularly three-pointers immediately after inbound passes.

Under new coach Mike Budenholzer, the approach to Antetokounmpo shooting three-pointers is already different. There's no question what Budenholzer expects Antetokounmpo to do.

Let it fly.

"(When) Bud came to the team he told me, ‘Giannis, I’m going to need you to shoot the ball. I don’t care if you make it, miss it, hit the backboard, airball, I don’t care – shoot the ball,'" Antetokounmpo recalled. "So it’s weird. But that’s even extra motivation. I’m going to work hard on my three and I know it’s going to make me a better player a year from now, two years from now.”

Budenholzer didn't just tell Antetokounmpo to shoot the ball, he gave him a partner to help him learn how to shoot better and with more confidence. Assistant coach Ben Sullivan is going into his fifth season with Budenholzer and has built a reputation for his ability to help shooters. He studied under renowned shooting coach Chip Engelland in San Antonio and helped players – most notably Atlanta's Kent Bazemore – improve their shooting strokes.

Antetokounmpo and Sullivan have spent a lot of hours working together over the past few months. Their time has involved plenty of hard work on the court, including practicing multiple types of three-point shots Antetokounmpo could attempt in the game. Antetokounmpo will move around the arc taking catch-and-shoot threes from each spot. He practices taking the ball from halfcourt and dribbling into threes. Sullivan will have him catch, step to the side with a dribble, then pull the trigger.

The list goes on. All the while, Antetokounmpo's expected to pay attention to details. If he doesn't, Sullivan's apt to call him on it.

Overall, Antetokounmpo doesn't feel like his shot has changed all that much, though his motion does appear to be more fluid now. More than anything else, Antetokounmpo feels more confident in his abilities, which is exactly what Budenholzer and Sullivan are going for.

“I want him to be great," Budenholzer said when asked about his goals for Antetokounmpo's three-point shooting. "I don’t think we’re going to snap our fingers and he’s going to be Ray Allen or Chris Mullin, but I think he’s certainly got a lot of confidence. He’s spent a lot of time working on it. … In an ideal world he’s making them, but more important to me than anything he’s just shooting and playing with a lot of confidence. Over time, we’re going to reap the benefits of that.”

Thus far in two preseason games, Antetokounmpo is 2 for 5 on three-pointers in 49 minutes of action. It's a small sample size, but that translates to 3.7 three-point attempts per 36 minutes, doubling his numbers from last year. Both of Antetokounmpo's made three-pointers have been pull-up, above-the-break three-pointers, the likes of which were uncommon in years past.

As much as the three-point shot will weaponize Antetokounmpo in new ways, the 23-year-old superstar says it doesn't change his mindset and he doesn't expect defenses to treat him any differently. He thinks he'll still get the same treatment some of the NBA's other top players get.

"Even if I was able to shoot the open three they’re still going to back off me," Antetokounmpo said. "Same thing with KD (Kevin Durant) – when I guard him, I guard him a little bit one or two feet off him because I know he can make plays, he can get to the paint. When he’s raising up to shoot I try to contest his shot because you’re not going to block his shot.

"So even if I knock down the open three they’re going to guard me the same way. LeBron James, we guard him the same way. … We’d rather him beat us with threes even though last year was one of his best years shooting the three.”

Yes, teams may defend Antetokounmpo like Durant and James, and the Greek Freak certainly belongs in the conversation with those two future Hall of Famers when it comes to the top talents in the league right now. However, if Antetokounmpo's going to truly rise to their level and become a true challenger for this year's league MVP honor, he's going to have to lead the Bucks to a higher level of success than the 44 wins they reached last year.

To do that, Antetokounmpo is going to have to become an even more well-rounded player than he already is, which includes proving he can be a reliable three-point threat.

Because as we all have heard for years now, when Antetokounmpo adds the three-pointer to his game, there won't be any way to stop him.

"I know I can get to the basket whenever I want, but I’ve got to be able to create some plays, like easy plays," Antetokounmpo said. "Sometimes I’m wide open, I’ve just got to shoot it.”