AJ Green Can Be The Shot In The Arm For The Bucks’ Shooting Woes
The Milwaukee Bucks' offense has been suffering from a severe case of shooting woes, and it's clear that they need a remedy.
With two of the league's most dynamic players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, it's baffling that the Bucks are languishing in 21st place in points per 100 possessions. But if their offense is the patient, then AJ Green is the shot in the arm that could get them back to full health.
The Bucks' offense is putting up a 110.8 offensive rating, the lowest since the Jason Kidd era. That's not the kind of throwback Bucks fans want, and it's certainly not the company you want to keep when you've got two of the league's top offensive stars on the same team.
Their slow start has been plagued by one overarching symptom: a shooting illness that's infected nearly the entire roster.
In a league that lives and dies by the three, the Bucks are wheezing, gasping for air with a three-point percentage ranking in the bottom third of the NBA. It's not exactly what head coach Doc Rivers had in mind when he came in with visions of a top-ten offense powered by Antetokounmpo and Lillard.
Lillard's knocking down a middling 34.8 percent of his threes, Antetokounmpo sits at an ice-cold 14.3 percent, Brook Lopez is in a slump at 26.3 percent, and even Gary Trent Jr. (22.5 percent), Bobby Portis (24.3 percent), Pat Connaughton (25.8 percent), and Delon Wright (27.3 percent) are all barely recognizable in their shooting performances.
Put it all together and Milwaukee's three-point percentage sits at 35.1 percent—almost two and a half points below last year's clip. Yuck.
Luckily, Rivers might have the cure sitting right on the bench: AJ Green, the sharpshooter waiting to inject some much-needed accuracy into this sputtering Bucks offense.
Green has been known for his shooting prowess, entering the season as a career 41 percent sniper from beyond the arc. But this year, he's elevated his game even further, hitting a blistering 51.9 percent from deep, which ranks second among the 94 players who have taken at least 50 threes.
Green's mechanics are a clinic in shooting purity: a high release that starts over his head and a quick trigger that allows him to fire off shots even in tight spaces. His shooting could be exactly what the Bucks need to counteract their current three-point malaise.
With Milwaukee's offensive issues clear as day, Rivers has started to give Green more run, even inserting him into the starting lineup in Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors.
He's been playing around 17 minutes a night, but that might not be enough. It's not just that he's knocking down over half of his three-pointers—it's the gravitational pull he has on defenders that can create open looks for his teammates.
Green may not be a creator off the dribble, but his lethal shooting forces his defender to stay glued to him at all times. When Green is on the court with Antetokounmpo and Lillard, his defender can't just sag off to double-team either star without leaving Green open.
It's simple math, but it's also basketball brilliance. Whether Giannis is driving or Lillard is working the pick-and-roll, Green's man has to stay close, and that opens up the floor. If they leave him, he is averaging a jaw-dropping 1.56 points per shot attempt—the highest among players with at least 150 minutes this season.
While the Bucks' offense coughs and sputters, Green would be an immediate upgrade over someone like Pat Connaughton.
Connaughton is taking up valuable minutes with little to show for it. His production has been dwindling for years, yet he's still out there soaking up time that could go to Green. The diagnosis is clear: when Green is available, Connaughton should head to the bench and stay there.
The next time Green takes a shot inside the arc will be the first time he's done so all season. All 52 of his field goal attempts have come from beyond the three-point line.
He's committed to the long ball, and that's exactly what Milwaukee needs. In a modern NBA offense, the three-point line is gospel, and the Bucks have been acting like they've missed the sermon. They're still taking too many mid-range shots and not enough from beyond the arc or at the rim—especially troubling when the league's best shooter sits right there on the sideline.
With Green's shooting injection, the Bucks' offense can start tilting back toward a healthy three-point diet.
The path forward is clear, and it involves Green firing away with the greenest of lights. If Milwaukee's offense is going to regain its health, they need to lean into Green's high-powered, high-volume shooting.
The Bucks' shooting woes have a cure—and his name is AJ Green.
