Behind the Bucks Pass
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks: Capitalizing on second chance efforts

By Jordan Treske

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 4: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 4, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 4: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 4, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

While the Milwaukee Bucks largely ignore crashing the offensive glass, they’ve been incredibly productive when cleaning up on second chance opportunities.

Year over year, the same trends continue to emerge for the Milwaukee Bucks under head coach Mike Budenholzer.

The Bucks’ identity under the reigning NBA Coach of the Year was quickly established throughout their magical run last season and those habits and principles continue to be borne out on the court for this year’s reshuffled Bucks squad.

More from Bucks News

And it goes beyond the obvious areas of success and tendencies we’ve come to expect from the Bucks over the last year and change, such as their willingness to launch three-pointers or shut off the basket to oncoming opposing ball handlers.

For example, take a look at their activity on the offensive glass, or lack thereof. Over the last few years, the Bucks have followed what much of the NBA has done in that area of the game and it’s only been strengthened under Budenholzer’s watch as his teams prioritize establishing their defense and getting back on that side of the ball.

Now, after ranking 26th in offensive rebounding percentage last season and retrieving 25 percent of their misses on offense, the Bucks are hovering around that mark this season where they’re corralling 24.3 percent of their misses, good for 27th in the league, per NBA.com/stats.

That mark has already ballooned up as we’ve gone through the first month of the season, but it’s hard to imagine the Bucks reverting course and being anything but opportunistic in crashing the glass to extend offensive possessions.

While that may be so, the Bucks have been incredibly productive in their second chance efforts so far this season. Through their first 18 games, the Bucks rank fourth in second chance points per game (15.1) and are the most efficient team in the league when it comes to converting putback and second chance finishes as they are posting 1.32 points per possession in that regard.

That’s just incredible efficiency and work the Bucks have done to collectively make good on their second chance possessions and they can look to their superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo for being a big reason why the Bucks have been able to accomplish such a feat.

Antetokounmpo has been able to rectify misfiring on his finishes at the cup and regularly reclaim his own miss to subsequently put down points, both untouched and through heavy traffic. And he stands as one of the foremost, high-volume putback players around the league and he’s been able to convert his second chance opportunities at 1.46 points per possession. Not only that, but Antetokounmpo’s averaging the second-most second chance points of players in the NBA (4.4).

Along with Antetokounmpo, veteran Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova keeps feasting on his patented tip-ins in front of the rim over his reserve role and it’s resulted in him standing in the 98th percentile in putbacks by putting down 1.60 points per possession on said opportunities.

All of this is certainly helped by the fact that the Bucks have used second chance points as a way to boost their offensive attack like they did over the last week in their recent victories over the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz over the course of their current nine-game winning streak scoring 27 and 28 second chance points in those victories, respectively.

It’s also not a coincidence that the Bucks feasted on the offensive glass on both occasions, pulling down a season-high 18 offensive boards in their victory over the Blazers and 15 rebounds against the Jazz, the fourth-highest total for them in a single game this season.

Next. Bucks: George Hill, the overlooked Sixth Man. dark

Can we expect the Bucks to keep up this level of second chance production over the course of the season as they hardly prioritize it within the overall philosophy? Chances are will see the Bucks slide as the year goes along, but Antetokounmpo himself may show to be an exception in that regard.

Home/Bucks News