Second key to victory against Suns — Milwaukee Bucks quiet Suns from mid-range
For as imposing as they are defensively, the Suns are still a work in progress on the offensive end as evidenced by their middling 110.6 offensive rating for the season.
The addition of a methodical guard like Paul has slowed down the Suns’ offense to the point where they have the second-lowest pace in the league, standing ahead of the New York Knicks. But the infusion of Paul has made the Suns that much more deliberate and orderly in where they look to find cracks in opposing defenses.
Case in point, the Suns are one of the more willing and efficient teams when shooting mid-range shots this season as they’re 46.2 percent of their looks from that area of the floor, the third-highest mark in the NBA.
Between Paul and Booker’s excellent shotmaking, the Suns’ dynamic duo will surely test the Bucks’ drop defensive scheme and specifically how Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer will utilize Brook Lopez throughout the night.
Through their first 24 games of the season, Budenholzer has been more experimental in terms of their defensive coverages, even as opponents still continue to bomb away from long range with ease. Through it all, Budenholzer has talked about not letting the opposition get comfortable in attempting shots from three.
That same logic can certainly be applied to a Suns team that can exploit the Bucks from mid-range, especially with how the Bucks are comfortable in letting their opponents put up such looks. Finding that balancing act will ultimately define the outcome of the game, especially as the Bucks will be without their star two-way guard indefinitely.