As the Milwaukee Bucks continue to dominate and assume the mantle of the NBA’s best defensive team, Donte DiVincenzo has taken on the team’s ‘defense-first’ mentality with his remarkable play on that end of the floor.
Through their first 23 games in this 2019-20 season, the Milwaukee Bucks have shown us all why they may be even better than the standard they set for themselves last year.
Of course, it’s an easier declaration to make after the Bucks clinched their signature win of the season, having demolished the L.A. Clippers Friday night in a 119-91 victory that gave Milwaukee their 14th consecutive victory.
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With their walloping of the Clippers over the weekend fresh in everyone’s collective minds, the Bucks have now taken on the top spot as the NBA’s best defensive team according to defensive rating, per NBA.com/stats.
That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as the Bucks’ defensive performances over this winning streak have become increasingly swarming and intense. Nor should it surprise anyone that when the Bucks have been at their best defensively, second-year guard Donte DiVincenzo has been on the floor.
The 22-year-old has been a fixture in the Bucks’ success this season and he’s already surpassed his minutes total from his injury-riddled rookie season last year through his 21 appearances so far this year after the Bucks’ 28-point win over the Clippers.
While Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has given DiVincenzo plenty of opportunity to prove himself when healthy over the last two years, DiVincenzo has been able to reward his coach’s faith fully this year, especially on the defensive end.
DiVincenzo currently holds a 93.1 defensive rating and remarkably, that stands second for a Bucks rotation player as Sterling Brown edges ahead of DiVincenzo in that department (Brown is logging a 92.5 defensive rating in his 264 minutes of action this season). In the 688 minutes the Bucks have been without DiVincenzo on the court, the Bucks surrender 103.9 points per 100 possessions, making for an on/off difference of 10.8 points per 100 possessions.
Those are ridiculous marks, to say the least, and DiVincenzo’s role as a bringer of chaos and a defensive disruptor has played a part in the Bucks hitting another gear on that end of the floor.
Friday night gave us all the best glimpse of just how the Big Ragu has been able to rely on his athleticism, anticipation and smarts to wreak havoc and bust up plays off the ball where unassuming teams haven’t got used to DiVincenzo’s hyper activity and overall thievery.
The first quarter sequence that The Athletic’s Eric Nehm detailed following the Bucks’ win over the Clippers highlighted the Bucks’ relentless effort and DiVincenzo’s penchant for living in passing lanes, and it’s been an increasingly regular sight for all Bucks fans as the season has wore on.
After grabbing four steals in that win, DiVincenzo is now averaging 1.6 steals per game this season, a mark that places the Bucks guard 11th in the league in that regard. And DiVincenzo’s 3.4 steal percentage helps DiVincenzo stand fourth in the NBA, per Basketball-Reference.com.
While DiVincenzo’s reading of the game and ability to intercept passes in incredible ways may be the standout facet in his defending, the boundless energy and overall effort level he plays with on that side of the ball gives the Bucks a different dynamic than they had consistently last season. To that point, DiVincenzo has been a staple in hustle stats, as evidenced by him piling up 4.5 deflections and 2.0 loose balls recovered on a per-36 minute basis for both marks.
All throughout Budenholzer’s tenure in Milwaukee, he and the Bucks as a whole have always looked to the defensive end as the core to their identity and what they want to ultimately achieve.
And now with over a year under his belt and having spent the bulk of his offseason in Milwaukee under the watchful eye of Bud’s coaching staff, DiVincenzo has gotten down all of the intricacies of defending on the NBA level and within the construct of Budenholzer’s defensive scheme.
It’s too early to call DiVincenzo a master of controlled chaos, but his development and production on that end of the floor only raises the Bucks’ ceiling that much higher, especially in a season when they have their eyes on the ultimate goal that the NBA offers.