Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 99-88 loss to Washington Wizards

An off-night for shooting

Many things could be looked at as the difference in the game on Monday night, but no difference was more drastic than the difference in shooting. The Wizards shot well from the field, making over 50 percent of their overall field goals and over 37 percent from three.

The Bucks, on the other hand, were a totally different story. The team shot 44-percent overall from the field, a below-average but not horrendous number. However, where the team really struggled was behinf the three-point line. The Bucks shot just over 18 percent from behind the arc, with only DeAndre Liggins managing to knock down more than one triple.

This is a stark contrast from the team’s typical shooting percentage. Coming into the game against the Wizards the Bucks shot 38.1 percent from three, ranking seventh in the league.

Teams have bad shooting nights. In 82 games no-one, not even the Golden State Warriors, is consistent in their shooting performances. What players need to do is to continue to shoot, though.

On Monday, it appeared players felt hesitant after a slow start. Brogdon passed up two separate three-point opportunities, one for a contested floater, the other for a meaningless drive that did not break down the defense. Despite struggling with his shot, the Bucks are a better team when he is firing away.

Three-point shooting will come and go. With small sample sizes the results aren’t as concerning as the mind-set.