By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

There were no defenders nearby. There wasn’t even another team on the court.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shooting display was nothing spectacular. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of NBA players would knock down a few 3-pointers in a row under the same circumstances.

None has the Greek Freak’s combination of size and athleticism.

So, videos of his perimeter progress quickly made the rounds on social media, serving more as a warning than a highlight. If Antetokounmpo can shoot like that in real games, maybe the Milwaukee Bucks can finish the job and win the title this season.

“I think I’m in a good place right now,” he said.

The Bucks are too, bringing the NBA’s best record into the resumption of the season next week at Walt Disney World.

Even as he won the MVP award last year and built a strong case to repeat this season, a consistent outside shot has been a weakness in Antetokounmpo’s game. The muscular 6-foot-11 forward can go end to end for a dunk in just a few dribbles, but hasn’t been as reliable spotting up to shoot.

The Toronto Raptors exploited that last season, with versatile, big defenders such as Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka who could keep Antetokounmpo from the rim and make him shoot outside. He didn’t make enough of them, and the Raptors charged back from a 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference finals en route to their first NBA championship.

Even with Leonard gone, the Raptors loom as one of the biggest threats to the Bucks again. Toronto is 46-18 and could benefit from the four-month stoppage that allowed Marc Gasol a chance to rest a left hamstring injury that nagged him during the second half of the season.

The Raptors have fought through injuries to key players all season but believe in what they can do if healthy when it matters most.

“To be honest right now, I’m not worried about being at 100% or feeling like I’m all the way there,” Siakam said. “I think it’s going to be a process and I think the goal for us as a team, not just me, is just to peak at the right time.”

Boston isn’t far behind Toronto and neither is Miami, which has the type of rugged defenders who could bother the Bucks.

But Milwaukee (53-12), leading the league in scoring and beating teams by an average of 11.2 points, appears even stronger than last season’s team that won 60. The Bucks believe this season they have enough to go all the way, even without getting to use the home-court advantage they likely would have earned.

“We’re all going through something we haven’t been through before,” All-Star Khris Middleton said. “It’s an even playing field for the most part, so it’s just who’s going to be the better team.”