Why Aren’t The Long Armed Bucks Better Rebounders?

Anyone undertaking a Milwaukee Bucks analysis in an attempt to establish the cause of the team’s success this season is likely going to be surprised at one particular aspect of the team’s play.

The Bucks don’t rebound the ball very well. Not in a “they’re at the league average” sort of way, but in a “they’re genuinely one of the worst in the NBA” sort of way, ranked 26th overall.

It can’t be possible though, not with these Bucks? They are the long armed wonders of the league, the team that rarely get a second of air time on national TV, but when they do, you can bet your house that length and athleticism will be two of the words bandied around.

It’s true that this Milwaukee squad is super long, and indeed athletic, but in a way that could be part of the problem when it comes down to their lower than expected rebounding numbers.

Rebounding tends to be intrinsically linked to effort and desire in discussions about it’s merit and importance in the modern NBA. I’m not going to say that the Bucks are found lacking in either of those areas though, because I don’t believe that’s the case.

Instead of Milwaukee’s poor rebounding being a by-product of laziness, it seems more accurate to contribute it to complacency. In fact, it may actually be due to the fact that they are so long that rebounds aren’t coming as easily to the Bucks.

Still not making sense to you? Well, let’s break it down further.

When you regularly trot out a lineup with guys like Khris Middleton (6″8′) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (6″11′) at shooting guard and small forward respectively, it’s pretty simple you’re going to come up with rebounds that you don’t necessarily deserve.

That’s all well and good, until your players get used to it though, and that may be what has started to happen with Milwaukee.

Having grown accustomed to being able to steal rebounds from over the heads of opponents, the Bucks fundamental positioning seems to be suffering. You don’t have to watch a lot of video to see that Milwaukee simply aren’t boxing out as you’d expect any more, instead they’re relying on athleticism to bail them out.

Still don’t believe me, let’s focus in on Giannis for a second. Antetokounmpo’s rebounds have improved to 6.2 per game this season, up from 4.4 last year. That’s a big positive, but I’ve taken a couple of examples where evidence of the young Greek winning rebounds from poor position is clear.

This first example comes from a matchup against the Hornets earlier in the season. You’ll see when Cody Zeller drops the ball off to Gary Neal, John Henson is forced to step forward to challenge the shot. What does that leave behind him, a gaping hole for Jason Maxiell to crash the offensive glass. Luckily a combination of Henson and Giannis’ long arms tip the ball away, before the Greek corrals it safely.

This second clip comes from the Bucks game against Minnesota last Friday. Once again, you’ll see Giannis finds himself in poor position to box out, as Gorgui Dieng forces him down right under the hoop. Fortune once again was in his favor though, as off the hands off Dieng and Pachulia it fell kindly to him.

That sort of luck will occasionally fall your way when you’ve got a wingspan as large as Antetokounmpo’s, Milwaukee just need to work on their fundamentals so that they’re not relying solely on that.

As a team, the Bucks only really have Larry Sanders who shows himself to be a dominant rebounder. That’s not just about Sanders averaging 10.2 boards per 36 minutes either, it’s the way in which he does that.

According to the league’s player tracking stats, Sanders wins 56 percent of his contested rebound opportunities. No other Buck is above 50 percent though, meaning that if any Milwaukee player is going head to head with an opponent for a board, more often than not they’re not going to get it.

This comes into sharp focus when we return to look at the Bucks young wings one more time too. Middleton only wins one out of five contested rebounding battles he finds himself in, while Antetokounmpo comes in at less than one in three.

This young Bucks squad plays with a lot of heart, so it really doesn’t seem fair to pin this on effort, but the coaching staff need to place an emphasis on working with the squad in terms of rebounding fundamentals.

If they do that, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Milwaukee’s rebounding pick up, and rapidly too. It really could be that simple of a fix.

Next: Bucks Remain Middle Of The Pack In Latest Power Rankings