Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was very transparent about how he impacts winning on a nighly basis for his team, using analytics to drive his point home during his postgame media availability after a 115-98 win against the Sacramento Kings. Antetokounmpo drew up the Bucks' game-winning play in a 122-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Then, Antetokounmpo talked about his offensive prowess, which includes a healthy blend of scoring, and passing, which Giannis backed up with eye-raising stats in a media scrum inside his team's locker room.
“I'm at a point in my career that I just want to help my team win. Obviously, do I believe that I can facilitate? I can make plays. Yeah. Do I believe that I got to give them space for them to to grow? Yeah. Me and Stefan today we check the stats, right? Seven assisted more. I've won 69% of my games,” Antetokounmpo said. Yep. Eight assisted more, 73 percent of my games.
“So, pretty much when I'm a point guard, we win. No, but just give them space to grow, man. I think they're playing great. We are going to need them to make plays, especially when we play on the road, when we play big games, not that we try to dig ourselves out of this hole deep in the playoffs. Like we're going to, they're going to have to make plays. So I got to give them space.”
Antetokounmpo also gave examples of where he can run the Bucks' offense from various spots all around the floor.
“I can facilitate from the post. I can facilitate from the elbow. Whenever I get the rebound, I have the freedom to bring the ball up and make a play,” Antetokounmpo added. “So, I'm happy. I'm happy where I am right now.”
The Bucks have won four of their last five games.
How Giannis Antetokounmpo drew up Bucks' game-winner
Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo alley-oop sent the Hornets home in a one-point win. Antetokounmpo found Kevin Porter Jr. for the slam, which put the Bucks ahead for good. After the win Porter Jr. revealed the play was Giannis' idea, he said, per The Athletic's Eric Nehm.
“Doc was drawing something up, and Giannis had a feeling they were switching a lot, so he gave us that play, basically, and we executed it,” Porter Jr. said.
Antetokounmpo says this isn't the first time this has happened.
“I’ve been in this situation before — I think, like, a month and a half ago,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “When I was [at] the elbow, playing ISO for the game against Miles Bridges, and I shot a shot. And then, when I shot it, I looked on my left; there was a guy in the corner, and I thought to myself, ‘Why didn’t I go [dribble handoff] and just let the play develop?’ Long story short, that game we won in overtime.”
The Bucks will begin a four-game road trip against the Warriors on Wednesday.
