During the regular season, in a stretch of easy games, the myth emerged that Giannis had “developed a
mid range shot”. Various crazy statistics flew around. Of course as the
season ended he regressed to his normal average. Under pressure Giannis has no mid range, we had already seen it in harder match ups in the regular season.
Here are the official NBA.com statistics from the playoffs. Giannis is nowhere to be seen even in 5-9 feet shooting distance. He is nowhere to be seen in the next mid range distance , 10-14ft. Neither in volume, nor in percentage of successful shots.
Giannis is a one trick pony and always has been, in fact he has regressed in many ways this season.
Oh but wait, what about his favourite mid range shots? He has three very specific places he can make those, when defences don’t run him off them at least. Oh , well done Giannis, you make ONE shot per game from there on average in the playoffs, albeit with one of the lowest percentages among your peers!
And of course 20-24 ft is also a mid range shot, it’s not yet a 3. And of course Giannis never had anything at that distance and he hasn’t even tried in the playoffs. Just for any fools still believing the Giannis mid range myth, here are the NBA leaders today (28/4/2025) as per nba.com for that distance too.
Also, for those of you who only watch highlights and choose to forget the overall picture, here are the detailed shot
charts. For example Game 1 you can see him fail from 3 and score 2 out of 5 from mid range.
And it gets worse of course, here is game 2:
The Regular-Season Hype
His improvement in the regular season hype was attributed to dedicated off season work in Greece, where Giannis trained with a skills coach to refine his jump shot. ESPN detailed how he focused on mid-range shots to reduce physical wear from constant rim attacks, aiming to extend his career. His performance in the 2024 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament, where he reportedly went 6-for-8 from mid-range against Croatia, further fuelled the narrative. The Bucks’ coaching staff, led by Doc Rivers, emphasised Giannis operating from the elbows, turning him into an “offensive nexus” with a polished jumper.
The regular season provided plenty of highlight-reel moments: a 19-foot pull-up against Aaron Gordon, a fadeaway from the baseline, or a jumper from the nail in clutch situations. These plays led to bold claims that Giannis’ mid-range game was transforming the Bucks into title contenders, making him “unstoppable” by neutralizing defensive walls in the paint. But regular-season stats can be misleading, especially when games against lottery-bound teams or fatigued opponents inflate shooting percentages.
The Playoff Disappearance
When the playoffs roll around, the game changes. Defenses tighten, schemes adjust, and stars face relentless pressure. For Giannis, the mid-range jumper that sparkled in the regular season has consistently dimmed in the postseason. In the 2024-25 playoffs against the Indiana Pacers, Giannis posted gaudy stat lines—37 points, 12 rebounds in Game 3; 34 points, 18 rebounds in Game 2; 36 points, 12 rebounds in Game 1—but a deeper dive reveals a glaring absence of mid-range attempts.
Social media chatter from fans, like a post on X noting Giannis took only one mid-range shot in a playoff game, underscores the trend: when the pressure mounts, Giannis reverts to his bread-and-butter, bullying his way to the rim. Playoff defenses, aware of his dominance in the paint, are content to let him take mid-range shots, knowing his efficiency drops under scrutiny. Unlike the regular season, where he faced softer coverages or mismatched defenders, playoff teams build walls, sag off, and dare him to shoot. The result? Giannis abandons the mid-range, opting for high-percentage drives or free throws.
Historical playoff data supports this. In the 2021 championship run, Giannis leaned heavily on his rim attacks and free throws, with mid-range shots playing a minor role. His iconic 50-point Finals closeout game featured dunks, layups, and 17-of-19 free throws, not pull-up jumpers. Recent playoffs show similar patterns: when defenses lock in, Giannis’ mid-range attempts dwindle, and his shooting percentage from that range plummets compared to the regular season’s 47.8%. The “elite mid-range shooter” narrative crumbles under postseason pressure.
Why the Disconnect?
Several factors explain why Giannis’ mid-range game thrives in the regular season but falters in the playoffs:
- Defensive Intensity: Regular-season games often feature inconsistent effort from rebuilding teams or players coasting through the schedule. Playoff defenses, however, are laser-focused, with top-tier rim protectors and help defenders clogging the paint, forcing Giannis to settle for jumpers he’s less comfortable taking under pressure.
- Game Planning: Playoff teams scout Giannis meticulously, conceding mid-range shots to keep him away from the rim. A 45% mid-range jumper, while respectable, is far less threatening than his 60%+ efficiency at the basket. Giannis, aware of this, prioritizes drives to maximize efficiency.
- Physical Toll: Giannis himself has said mid-range shots reduce wear on his body, a strategy for career longevity. But in the playoffs, where every possession counts, he leans on his physical dominance, absorbing contact to draw fouls or finish through traffic, sidelining the jumper.
- Sample Size and Context: Regular-season mid-range stats can be skewed by small sample sizes or favorable matchups. A hot streak against teams like the Wizards or Pistons doesn’t translate to success against playoff-caliber defenses like Miami or Boston.
The Myth’s Impact
The overhyping of Giannis’ mid-range game creates unrealistic expectations. Fans and analysts touting his “evolution” overlook how his dominance has always stemmed from paint scoring, playmaking, and defense—not jump shooting. The Bucks’ 2021 title didn’t hinge on mid-range mastery; it came from Giannis’ relentless rim pressure and clutch free-throw shooting. Projecting him as a Kevin Durant-esque shooter ignores his core strengths and sets a false narrative for playoff success.
So he can’t improve?
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s mid-range improvement is a compelling story, but it’s largely a regular-season phenomenon that fades in the playoffs. The data, from his limited mid-range attempts in high-stakes games to fan observations of his rim-focused approach, paints a clear picture: the jumper is a supplementary tool, not a game-changer. Giannis remains a force of nature, but his path to another title lies in leveraging his athleticism and paint dominance, not in chasing a mid-range mirage. As the Bucks chase playoff glory, it’s time to let the myth of Giannis’ mid-range mastery rest.
(For anyone still wanting to discuss the matter, here is Giannis’ shot chart for Game 4)
