Even on his home court, Giannis Antetokounmpo is getting called for his slow free throw shooting.
Except for this time, it’s not the Nets’ scoreboard calling out the Bucks’ forward; it’s the officials.
During Thursday’s Game 3 matchup against Brooklyn, Antetokounmpo was called for a 10-second violation while shooting his second of two free throws.
In the video, Antetokounmpo receives the ball and takes five seconds before he even begins to dribble it. He proceeds to dribble the ball six times, before pausing in a crouched position when the officials decided they had seen enough and call him for the 10-second violation. A clock on ESPN’s broadcast showed it went 13.03 seconds.
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Making free throws has been anything but easy for Antetokounmpo this postseason. He has a career success rate of 71.7 percent, but this postseason, coming into Thursday’s game, he is shooting just 53.5 percent. He’s been especially awful against the Nets, having made 2-of-10 free throws in the first two games.
By halftime of Thursday’s game, he was 2-for-7 from the line.
ESPN analyst Jay Williams was ready during halftime for a stat at Antetokounmpo’s expense. He said it takes Usain Bolt less time to run a 100-yard dash than it takes Antetokounmpo to shoot a free throw.
“You would think if you’re shooting 28 percent from the free-throw line tonight, 23 percent for the series, why is your routine so long. It should be faster so you’re not spending as much time thinking about the shot and just reacting and shooting,” Williams said.
Bolt set the world record for the 100-meter dash in 2009 at 9.58 seconds. That 100-meter distance would be the distance of nearly three-and-a-half basketball courts.
Yeah, it’s safe to say Antetokounmpo needs to move a little faster at the line.