By Giannis Antetokounmpo/ Follow @G_ante34
Giannis Antetokounmpo writes on his official blog from Milwaukee, about the small goals he sets in areas where a lot of improvement is needed and he shares with the people in Greece his own experience, which helped him endure in times when survival was the only goal.
Spiritual approach for stability
What interests me most of all, what I strive for, is improvement. I want to be a lot better next season, more productive and more important for the Bucks. It’s a secret to be very demanding and unsatisfied, first of all towards my own self. The same approach applies to the small, short-term goals. I might have made one really good appearance, maybe even two, and in the next game it wasn’t as easy to get the same kind of aggression in my game out on the court. By contrast, some games might not turn out the way I wanted them to 2 or 3 times in a row and then in the next game, I stepped out on the court determined and angry with myself.
Then, I played really well. And this is something that needs to be worked on in order for me to improve on it. The one, fundamental part is the consummation of basketball characteristics, the other is to be mentally prepared to see every game, every play, every day as a big challenge and to feel that I have to prove things ceaselessly.
Role in the game – Weakside
The truth is that I still have a bit of a problem when I’m on the weak side while my team’s offensive systems are unfolding. I don’t participate and this sometimes throws me off rhythm and puts me out of the game. I’m unable to produce as much energy, to be myself on the court. What interests me is that, when I’m positioned on the weak side of the defense I usually don’t help my team as much I should. But you live and learn. Now that I’m back in Milwaukee I’ll sit down and look at all of my games with my coaches.
I’m sure they’ve spotted my weak points. Why I don’t contribute as much form the weak side of the defense. They will analyze my mistakes and what I have to do in order to improve on this part of the game. I’ve understood that in isolation situations that the team creates for me, the most important thing will be to stabilize my effectiveness and my mid-range shot percentage. A big key. If the defenders are on me and they move higher up in order to obstruct the shot, then I’ll drive to the basket and generally I’ll have all the options at my disposal.
It’s true that, at least right now, I can do more things with the ball from up top. And when more players are sent to help defend me, I really like to see the passes and create plays for my teammates. It’s an element that is part of my game and it makes me happy to get it out on the court and help other guys score.
On unnecessary fouling
Often, I can’t control my passion for playing defense. I want not only to carry out the defense, but to steal the ball too. As a result, I sometimes concede 1-2 consecutive easy fouls. It’s a habit that I have to put a stop to, something that I shouldn’t do because it forces me to sit on the bench and I lose my rhythm and have less playing time. I think it’s a matter of experience and I’ll improve on it in the near future. My coaches will also help me out a lot with this.
About Greece
My mind should be focused on basketball but it’s not possible for it not to wander back to Greece. Even if you don’t want to think about it, the events won’t let you. I’m young and inexperienced to talk about these kinds of issues. I don’t possess the knowledge to judge and have an opinion. The only thing I’m entitled to share is my feelings. I feel sorrow for Greece and everything the people are going through. I know how hard it is. Honestly, for many years in my life, before I became 18 and got into the draft and the NBA, I felt first hand the stresses of survival. The insecurity, the feeling of not knowing what tomorrow will bring and how you will manage to survive.
It’s a very difficult situation to manage. I want to wish the people strength, courage, a positive mentality and patience. Personally, I managed to come out stronger from the difficult situations I experienced in my childhood and teenage years, with only one thing as a weapon: my love for my family, the emotional bond that we had between us, the fact that we were all going through it together, by giving strength to one another. When you have people by your side that love you, people you care about, and everyone supports each other, then even the greatest problems, if they cannot be overcome, they can at least be endured.
It has been proven many times in history that no matter what Greece went through, Greece never perished. Greece always found a way to get up again and move forward. The same will happen now.