It felt as though Donte DiVincenzo was looking to prove something once the Milwaukee Bucks‘ 2020-21 season tipped off a little more than a month ago.
Following his poor run in the bubble and an offseason in which he was nearly dealt to the Sacramento Kings as part of the failed Bogdan Bogdanovic, DiVincenzo displayed his motivations on the court by rattling off inspired performances. As the Bucks have and continued to find their way, DiVincenzo’s hot start stood as a source of optimism for Bucks fans eager to see what was in store for the 23-year-old.
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While not for a lack of trying, DiVincenzo has clearly been unable to sustain his hot scoring start especially. Through his 15 appearances on the season, DiVincenzo is averaging 10.1 points .449/.429/.750 shooting, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals across his 25.4 minutes per contests.
So without further ado, let’s explore how Donte DiVincenzo can improve his game to shake out of his cold slump.
3 ways for Donte DiVincenzo to shake cold spell – Reignite hot shooting from long range
There was no better indication of DiVincenzo’s hot start than the way he shot the lights out once the season got underway.
Now as the one-month mark has passed, the lights have turned back on as DiVincenzo has unsurprisingly regressed in his ability to hit looks from distance. In his 11 appearances for the month of January, DiVincenzo is shooting 17-for-51 from deep, which differs from the 16-for-26 shooting he had shot in the Bucks’ five games during December.
With 56.6 percent of DiVincenzo’s shots coming from beyond the arc, the 23-year-old’s floor spacing is essential to maximizing his fit alongside the Bucks’ cornerstone shot creators such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton.
The disparity in how effective DiVincenzo is when hitting shots off the ball versus off the dribble has been very apparent. Per NBA.com/stats, DiVincenzo is shooting 27-of-57 on catch-and-shoot triples, which is the most catch-and-shoot threes made by any Bucks player so far this season.
DiVincenzo simply hasn’t been effective as a shooter with the ball in his hands, both inside and outside the arc. DiVincenzo is 8-for-26 on his total pull up attempts so far, making for a 42.3 effective field goal percentage.
As DiVincenzo tries to find his way back consistently scoring in double digits regularly again, tracking how he is able to hit shots off the catch versus off the ball will be key in his effectiveness as a tertiary scorer for the Bucks.
3 ways for Donte DiVincenzo to shake cold spell – Improve finishing at basket
While DiVincenzo’s shooting coming back down to earth has caught the attention of all Bucks fans, his shaky finishing at the basket has been a recurring problem this season.
DiVincenzo’s fearlessness when attacking the basket has never been a problem to this point in his three-year NBA career. It’s been being able to consistently finish and do so in a variety of skilled ways that has been a big stumbling block in his development. To this point in the year, DiVincenzo is converting 26 of his 48 finishing attempts at the rim, good for 54.2 percent.
It’s in this area of DiVincenzo’s game where he has to make major strides to round out his scoring abilities beyond his sharpshooting or off-ball scoring. DiVincenzo’s continued slip ups in transition or trying to capitalize on odd-man advantages has routinely been a problem that he has to yet conquer as those opportunities continue to climb.
While he’s largely looked to kick it out to open Bucks shooters when driving down the lane, DiVincenzo has gone 8-for-17 on his driving attempts to start the season, good for 47.1 percent.
Considering that 91.9 percent of DiVincenzo’s total shots have either come from 3-point range or at the basket this season, the third-year combo guard has taken to heart the Bucks’ new-age shot selection. Now it’ll be on DiVincenzo to improve his scoring prowess at the most efficient shot on the floor.
3 ways for Donte DiVincenzo to shake cold spell – Maintain scrappy play
DiVincenzo has certainly been mired in a rough scoring and shooting patch for some time now, but what still shines throughout is his ability to affect other areas of the game.
Even at his 6’4″ size, DiVincenzo’s ability to track down loose balls or offensive rebounds as well as snatch up steals when springing into passing lanes has best exemplified his impact beyond scoring the ball. And through this point in the season, he has kept that up while going through his ups and downs offensively.
DiVincenzo is averaging 1.3 steals per game, which matches the mark he set as a sophomore last season. Along with that, DiVincenzo is averaging 2.3 deflections per game that further reinforces his athleticism and anticipation skills.
While his advanced rebounding numbers are slightly down from what he set last season, DiVincenzo is still pulling down 5.9 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is well above average for a player of his position.
The full throttle nature that DiVincenzo has regularly played with has been best felt on both ends of the floor and provides a balance to hang on, especially during stretches like these where his scoring has dried up considerably.
Time will tell just how and when DiVincenzo will be able to rid himself of his scoring and shooting woes, but he certainly will look to do many little things to stay on the floor as he works through this semi-slump.