Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory when hosting Indiana Pacers

Second key – Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo silences Myles Turner

While the Pacers excel at getting into the paint offensively, they certainly invite multiple looks to their opponents both in the paint and at the basket. No team allows more looks within the restricted area than the Pacers do this season. And yet, the Pacers limited their opponents to finishing 59.1 percent of their looks at the basket, the third-lowest mark in the league.

From that perspective, it helps to have the premier shot blocker in all of the NBA in Myles Turner, who is averaging an astounding 3.9 blocks per game this season. Along with that, Turner has a 41.1 defensive field goal percentage on shots taken within six feet.

It’s possible that Turner will face his toughest test in Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has certainly looked more and more like himself as the season has gone on.

For all of the questions that have followed the two-time MVP and his long-standing shooting deficiencies, he’s never been better finishing at the basket than this season. Antetokounmpo is converting an extraordinary 78.3 percent of his 180 shots within the restricted area.

The manner in which those shots have come at the basket have looked differently than at any other stage in Antetokounmpo’s career, in part because of the Bucks’ revamped offensive system. Less driving on the ball has meant less walls in front of him as he’s being more utilized in traditional big man ways (i.e. screening and rolling to the basket).

Indiana’s size in the frontcourt and Turner’s shotblocking prowess will make for a fun test for Antetokounmpo. And with Bjorkgren coming from the school of Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, there will be no shortage of strategies and tactics that he’ll turn to in order to slow down the Greek superstar.