Lou Williams Takes a Shot at the NBA While Praising Giannis Antetokounmpo’s NBA Cup Performance

The NBA may have transformed into a three-point shooting league before our eyes, but don’t try showing the analytics to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has continued to dominate despite a near-total rejection of the outside shot.

Giannis’ Milwaukee Bucks may have gotten off to a slow start this season, but they’re now one of the hottest teams in the league thanks in large part to their star’s ability to buck modern convention and thrive with an anachronistic game, as former player Lou Williams pointed out during an appearance on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back.

“I don’t think Giannis got the memo that this is a 3-point shooting league now…. Giannis was just spectacular. He’s the reason for this Milwaukee Bucks team, and their turnaround and everything they’ve been able to do.”

Williams praised Giannis for embracing a “bully ball” mentality in the NBA Cup semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks this weekend, as he poured in 32 points while adding 14 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 blocks to help the Bucks book a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals on Tuesday.

Williams spoke about “getting back to basics” and “putting pressure on the rim,” and Giannis showed that he is the poster child for that kind of old-school basketball by getting to the line 18 times while attempting zero shots from beyond the arc, a rarity in today’s NBA.

What’s even more impressive is that this is nothing new for the former MVP. Giannis is averaging 32.7 points per game on a ridiculous 61.4 percent shooting, and he’s done it by playing with his back to the basket, getting to the rim, and drawing contact.

Giannis is averaging 11.4 free throws per game, a number that leads the league and is well ahead of Anthony Davis of the Lakers, who is in second place with 8.8. He’s also only attempted 17 threes on the year. For reference, LaMelo Ball of the Hornets is attempting over 13 threes per game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the Bucks on his back with his old-school game

Giannis knows his strengths and weaknesses, and this year more than ever, he’s playing to them. This has helped him score at least 20 points in each of the Bucks’ 25 games while shooting at least 50% in each one. It’s a throwback to the type of basketball that made big men like Wilt Chamberlain dominant, and a refreshing palette cleanser in today’s era of teams shooting 40+ threes per game.

It’s fair to say that the Bucks haven’t reached their goals since acquiring Dame Lillard from the Portland Trailblazers last year. The team fired Adrian Griffith just 43 games into his tenure as head coach, then were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Eastern Conference runner-up Indiana Pacers.

The beginning of this season gave fans little reason to believe the Bucks could turn it around, but Williams credits Giannis with engineering Milwaukee’s remarkable rise from the East cellar, as they’ve answered a 2-8 start with a 12-3 stretch to climb to sixth in the conference.

Lillard, who’s averaging over 25 points of his own, has been excellent as Giannis’ wingman, and the Bucks are hoping that the recent return of Khris Middleton will push them to even greater heights. Ultimately though, the Bucks will go as Giannis goes, which is why this recent surge has propelled him back into the MVP conversation.

The fight for the league’s top individual honor may be crowded, with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets sitting in pole position thanks to his career-best numbers, but don’t count Giannis Antetokounmpo out yet, especially if the Bucks are able to win the NBA Cup.

Jokic has been extraordinary, yes, but voter fatigue may yet play into this, and Giannis’ compelling old-school dominance will resonate with those who believe the league has tilted too far towards the love of the three.