Milwaukee Bucks: Top heavy bench three-point shooting is worrisome

The Milwaukee Bucks’ bench has struggled with consistent three-point shooting, and it could be an area of need in upgrading.

Since reigning Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer came along, the Milwaukee Bucks’ motto has been “Let it Fly”. They have certainly been delivering on it all across their roster too.

The Bucks’ bench leads the league in three-point attempts with 16.5 per game. Connecting on 6.1 of these shots, Milwaukee’s bench does rank second in the league in made threes per game, only behind the Washington Wizards at 6.8 per game.

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Currently, the Milwaukee bench also ranks in ninth place in the league when it comes to 3-point percentage, averaging 36.7 percent.

A major factor in that has been the contributions of sixth man George Hill, who leads the entire league in three-point efficiency at 53 percent. Hill’s ability to light it up from deep has been one of the major bright spots for this Milwaukee team thus far as he continues to have a stellar season.

Aside from Hill, though, the picture gets increasingly inconsistent from deep for the bench. Kyle Korver ranks second off the bench with a strong mark of 39.5 percent from deep, even though it’s the third-lowest mark in his career. Korver has been a little streakier than expected this season, but it’s a testament to his sharpshooting that he’s still rounding out at such a solid percentage..

The ever so streaky Ersan Ilyasova remains just that too. Currently in the midst of a hot streak, Ilyasova’s percentage has soared to 39.2 percent thanks to going 7-of-8 from deep over the last two nights. More generally, the 32-year old has picked it up in his last 10 games, shooting an immensely impressive 56 percent from long range. If Ilyasova can continue to make the three-ball this consistently, he could truly make a big difference on this Milwaukee team.

Beyond that trio, the Bucks’ bench shooting gets very underwhelming in a hurry, though.

Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton both average in the region of17 minutes per game, but are shooting less than 34 percent from deep. Brown stands at 33.3 percent, a career-low, while Connaughton is at 30 percent, the second-worst mark of his career. Both have been more effective inside the arc this season, but their lack of outside shooting has been troublesome.

Finally, among bench bigs, Robin Lopez and D.J. Wilson are shooting 30.2 and 28.2 percent, respectively, from three. Lopez started the season off by showcasing his improved range from downtown but has gone cold recently. Wilson has found himself struggling with inconsistent minutes and has not been able to find a consistent shot from outside.

As it stands, the bench could use a little bit of a boost with shooting from behind the arc. Some nights they are lighting it up, while others it seems like nothing will go in. This inconsistency is an issue that could become harmful later in the season and during the playoffs. This franchise felt the pain of not being able to knock down shots at crucial moments last year, so the Bucks should look to address this issue sooner rather than later.

Last year at around this time, the Milwaukee Bucks were similarly off to a dominant start but made a trade regardless. On that occasion, not only did they get to offload some salary, but the brought back Hill in the deal too. Perhaps they could look into doing something like that again this season.

This Milwaukee team does not need to go all-in and dismantle their bench by any mean, but with the Indiana Pacers’ 1st round pick in their possession, they could make a substantial move if required. As trade season begins to heat up, the Bucks could look to swap the pick for someone with three-point shooting willing to come off the bench and help bolster a contender.

Rumors that the team could be interested in acquiring a shooter such as J.J. Redick before the trade deadline have been swirling and could be for the right reason. Redick is currently shooting 45.7 percent from three-point territory and is stuck on the 10-23 New Orleans Pelicans.

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With another lottery-bound season ahead for the Pelicans, they would likely want to collect draft picks and prepare for the future. If a reunion between Redick and the Bucks becomes a possibility, Milwaukee should find a way to pull the trigger. A trade like this could very well send this team over the top by adding another lights out shooter.

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