Giannis Antetokounmpo is now averaging a career-high 7.3 assists per game this season, following a masterful performance with 18 dimes against the Hornets. His playmaking has always been his most underrated attribute, and now he's using it to pick defenses apart.
Giannis' continued development as a passer will make his own experience on the Bucks more enjoyable and elevate the team to a serious playoff threat.
Giannis is showing he's one of the league's best playmakers
The Bucks needed Giannis to have an impact on Friday night against the Hornets after dropping a game to Charlotte a couple of days prior. He was expected to dominate the Hornets' inexperienced front line with his prolific interior scoring, but played a more conservative role for most of the game. While he did finish with 25 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field, his 18 assists were much more remarkable.
Giannis has always been a strong playmaker since ascending to superstardom many years ago. His unmatched interior scoring draws the attention of opposing defenses constantly and creates open shtos for teammates. When he's driving to the rim, he can reliably create open threes for others if he's not finishing himself.
But Giannis is now evolving his passing to the next level. He has shown higher-level reads this season, and delivered many passes to teammates proactively. He'll often hit a shooter before they are actually open after reading where the defense is rotating, or find teammates for rim opportunities in a way he hasn't before. This skill development makes life much easier for his less experienced teammates who are stepping up in ways they never have before.
Better passing will also prepare Giannis for the playoffs, when defenses will be sure to load up on him as the primary scoring options. It adds another counter to his skillset and makes the Bucks as a whole much more dangerous. Giannis is putting his teammates in positions to succeed by setting them up perfectly.
Additionally, it allows other Bucks to lead the team in scoring on some nights (like Kyle Kuzma did on Friday) while still maintaining the strong flow of the offense. A more balanced attack can conserve Giannis throughout the long regular season and keep him fresh for the all-important playoffs. Now in his age-30 season, Giannis has plenty of miles on his legs, and the coaching staff would be wise to make the game less physically demanding for him.
Giannis' incredible display of passing skill and processing against the Hornets was an exclamation point for his playmaking this season, but not an isolated incident. He's now up to 12th in the NBA in assists per game and continues to show that he's reached another level in that skill. Even after years of dominance, Giannis continues to surprise fans and opponents alike with new additions to his game.