The Atlanta Hawks need to turn Giannis Antetokounmpo into a jump shooter
The Atlanta Hawks have struggled to contain Milwaukee Bucks superstar and two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has been sensational in the first two games, almost collecting a triple-double in the first game, and then was dominant again in the second game.
The problem for the Hawks is they are letting Antetokounmpo feast within the restricted area which is where he becomes unstoppable. This is where Clint Capela needs to shine but it starts so much further out than from within three feet from the rim.
Antetokounmpo has a tremendous burst of speed and the ability to remain in control which allows him to get around a defender. He can either pull out a spin move or put the euro step on his defender, all at full pace. Stopping him us one of the toughest jobs in basketball.
The Atlanta Hawks need to build the wall to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo
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When Antetokounmpo backs up so that he can get a full head of steam, the Hawks need to form a wall at the free-throw line. John Collins needs to take a step forward on the defensive end so that Antetokounmpo cannot use his long arms to get closer to the hoop.
The Hawks also need to double-team him when he gets down into the low block. Both of these options leave a player open, but it would be better to have someone else shoot the ball, rather than Antetokounmpo getting the easy look at the rim.
In the first half of the second game, Antetokounmpo made 7-of-8 from within three feet. He was 0-of-3 from outside the restricted area. For the season Antetokounmpo has made 83.7 percent of his shots from within the restricted area.
When you force him to shoot from outside this range, his percentages go down. From between three and ten feet, Antetokounmpo shoots the ball at 40.1 percent, between ten and 16 feet, his percentage drops to 35.9 percent.
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If you can get Antetokounmpo to shoot from 16 feet out, he connects on just over 30.0 percent of his shots. The Boston Celtics showed the NBA how to make Antetokounmpo relatively ineffective on offense and the Hawks need to emulate this, turning him into a jump shooter if they can.