The great three-point experiment
One of the biggest new wrinkles we’ve seen so far in the early going of Budenholzer’s tenure as Bucks head coach has come from beyond the arc.
As NBA.com’s John Schuhmann pointed out Friday afternoon, the Bucks have sported the biggest increase in launching up three-point shots across the league from last year’s regular season to this year’s preseason play.
Still 12 games left on the schedule, but here's a style-of-play comparison from last season to this preseason. Highlighted are 5 teams w/ biggest/smallest jumps. pic.twitter.com/lDAsl1xSRQ
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) October 12, 2018
The three-point overhaul the Bucks are currently experiencing goes up and down the roster, including Henson. Of course, Henson’s track record from that level of the floor has been virtually non-existent as he’s only sank one of his 13 attempts from downtown (7 percent) throughout his first six years.
Henson hinted at this element being more fleshed out in his game under Coach Bud over the summer, and provided details on adjusting to spacing the floor to that degree, as well as the confidence in doing so provided by the coaching staff, to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel once training camp opened up late last month:
"“Part of being in the NBA is adapting to a new system, to a new coach,” said Henson, who barely rippled the net on at least one corner trey after practice. “To be successful you have to be adaptable. As a team I think we’re doing that. “This coaching staff does a great job of giving us confidence. Me, personally, I’m coming in in the mornings and getting some shots in with Vin (Baker) and getting those extra reps up. I’ll have the time – guys aren’t just going to run me off the line at first. It’s just about making them at this point.”"
It’s fair to wonder how much we’ll see Henson put up shots from three-point range throughout the year as well as just how successful of an adjustment that will be. Nevertheless, seeing Henson assume this kind of role will be nothing if not entertaining at the very least.