Milwaukee Bucks: 3 advantages in first round series against Miami Heat

The Milwaukee Bucks have the edge in 3-point shooting over the Heat

Whether it was during the regular season or last year’s Conference Semifinals, Milwaukee bore the brunt of outrageous shooting displays from the Heat. All of it wasn’t a surprise as Miami finished second in the NBA in terms of overall 3-point percentage at 37.9 percent and were the second-most prolific shooting team on catch-and-shoot threes, per NBA.com/stats.

For as much as Milwaukee has let it fly since the arrival of head coach Mike Budenholzer, they knew that they had to improve upon their middling 3-point shooting after hitting 35.3 percent of their attempts last season. It’s safe to say they’ve done just that.

The Bucks finished fifth in both total 3-pointers made (1,038) and 3-point percentage (38.9) as well as hit 39.7 percent of their catch-and-shoot threes. Miami, meanwhile, have slipped from the lofty standard they set last year as they ranked 14th in total 3-pointers made (924) and 19th in 3-point percentage (35.8 percent).

This kind of role reversal certainly bodes well for the Bucks, even though it should be noted that Miami has dangerous shooting threats that will certainly test Milwaukee’s defense. Players like Duncan Robinson, Nemanja Bjelica and Tyler Herro come to mind.

However, in the changes that the Heat have gone through over the last several months, they’ve clearly lost the special mixture that made them such a lethal shooting team last season. And the Bucks have retooled with their shooting and they’ll be hoping that propels them going into this series.