Sports
Milwaukee Bucks Need To Make Basketball Easy – Forbes
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 30: Damian Lillard #0 and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee … [+]
Just as one must first complete an undergraduate degree to build a solid foundation before advancing to graduate school, the Milwaukee Bucks must also solidify their play at the current level before they can ascend to the pinnacle of basketball success. While they harbor ambitions of championship glory, their journey is akin to that of an undergraduate student—full of learning, growth, and potential yet to be realized.
We can analyze pick-and-roll coverages, offensive sets, and adjustments until we are blue in the face. All of that is fine and dandy. However, with all of the complex layers involved in playing basketball in the NBA, sometimes it’s the easy plays that can have the biggest impact.
There was a simple, but perfect example of that when the Bucks hosted the Miami Heat on October 30.
Just a week before the start of training camp, the Bucks underwent a significant transformation. They traded Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and draft picks to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Damian Lillard. This move fundamentally altered their offensive scheme, introducing one of the most exceptional shooters and playmakers the NBA has seen. The critical question was how the Bucks would seamlessly integrate Lillard into their lineup alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and their other star players to maximize their championship potential.
As the team worked through the kinks during the preseason to adapt to this transformation, they faced another challenge. Terry Stotts, who had been Lillard’s head coach in Portland, served as Adrian Griffin’s lead assistant and was instrumental in orchestrating the offense, suddenly resigned. It was another significant change the Bucks had to navigate. The organization handled this adversity professionally, though it added complexity to their preparations.
In the opening three games of the season, we’ve seen glimpses of what the Bucks can become. Lillard’s outstanding performance in the season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he scored 39 points, including clutch plays, set a thrilling tone. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo continues to deliver impressive scoring numbers with remarkable efficiency.
However, there’s another side to the story. Lillard struggled in the second game, scoring only six points and accumulating ten turnovers in the last two games. His role is still a work in progress, as the Bucks’ offensive performance has been average in the first three games.
As the season unfolds, the team’s success hinges on the budding partnership between Lillard and Antetokounmpo. They are still adjusting to sharing the spotlight and finding synergy on the court.
In their recent game against the Heat, a simple yet powerful illustration of their developing challenges came to the forefront.
As the play unfolded, Antetokounmpo led the charge up the court, with Malik Beasley and Khris Middleton positioned at the three-point line to his left, while Brook Lopez took his spot in the dunker area. On his right, Lillard stood alone on the wing.
Antetokounmpo advanced toward the three-point arc, and Lillard began to set an inverted screen before drifting to the top of the key. The on-ball defender, Thomas Bryant, opted to slide beneath the screen, granting Antetokounmpo a clear path to attack him on the right side of the floor. Interestingly, Kyle Lowry, Lillard’s defender, lingered momentarily by Antetokounmpo, leaving Lillard open.
In this situation, the logical move would have been a simple pass to the open and sharpshooting Lillard. However, Antetokounmpo decided to take matters into his own hands. He squared up against his defender, executed a crossover from right to left, and attempted a mid-range jumper from the elbow, which ricocheted off the back of the rim.
According to Stat Muse, Antetokoumpo took 20 shots at the right elbow last year and made just seven of them, averaging 0.7 points per shot attempt. Meanwhile, Lillard averaged 0.93 points per shot attempt from the top of the arc. On catch-and-shoot threes last year, he averaged 1.09 points per shot attempt.
The lesson here is simple: pass the ball to the open, high-percentage shooter. Before the Bucks can graduate to more advanced classes, a progression they hope happens by the time the postseason rolls around, they first have to master the basics. Understanding who should take what shot attempt is as good of a place to start as any.
No alarms need to be sounded at this early stage. The dynamic duo has played just three preseason games together and has only three regular-season games under their belt. As time goes on, they’ll undoubtedly find their rhythm. For now, embracing ugly wins while they figure things out is just part of the learning process.
