Milwaukee Bucks: How Giannis Antetokounmpo can take over Nets series
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks find themselves facing adversity as they are down 0-2 to the Brooklyn Nets in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Despite Brooklyn having James Harden for just 43 seconds over these first two games due to a nagging hamstring injury, the Bucks have not been able to capitalize. This group has looked like a shell of the team from the first round that dismantled the Miami Heat in a clean sweep and was believed to be a formidable opponent.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
A massive part of this regression falls onto the shoulders of Milwaukee’s leading man, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Although he is putting up solid overall numbers in these first two matchups, Antetokounmpo has not played like his typical two-time league MVP self.
With things looking bleak as the Bucks are down 0-2 to their herculean opponent, Giannis and company will have to dig deep if they will get out of this deficit with the series heading to Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Bucks need Giannis Antetokounmpo to be more aggressive if they will defeat the Brooklyn Nets
Giannis dominated in the three regular season matchups with Brooklyn this year because of his size advantage over their defenders. Knowing that he could easily overpower Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and get to the rim, Antetokounmpo bulldozed his way through the line and often got whatever he wanted. He finished the season series averaging an astounding 39.7 points on 30.7 field goal attempts per game.
In the two games against the Nets thus far, Antetokounmpo is averaging just 26 points on an average of 19.5 field goal attempts. The uber-aggressive Giannis that looked like a sheer force of nature during those regular season matchups is nowhere to be found to this point. Still, according to NBA.com/stats, he is making good when he does take the ball inside by shooting 14-of-15 in the restricted area and 7-of-11 from the paint (non-restricted area).
He is struggling from everywhere else on the court by shooting 1-of-5 from the mid-range and an abysmal 2-of-8 from 3-point territory. Yet, Antetokounmpo continues taking puzzling shots, including above the break threes with double-digits left on the shot clock when he should be taking the ball inside and throwing it down. Is it a confidence issue? It could be, as Antetokounmpo is shooting an abysmal 2-of-10 from the free throw line to kick things off here and it could all be in his head as pressure mounts.
If the Bucks will come back in this series, they need Antetokounmpo to cut the shooting act and do what he does best. His primary defender during this series has been Blake Griffin, and Giannis is once again showing that he can take it to him when the pair are matched up. Antetokounmpo is shooting an efficient 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) from the floor versus Griffin, with his 3-pointers taken out of the equation.
The key to coming back is for the Bucks to do what worked best during the regular season and throttle the Nets close to the basket. With a player like Antetokounmpo, one of the most authoritative paint scorers in the association, that should have been an emphasis from the moment this series tipped off. However, the urgency is simply not there for him or the rest of the team as they continue to have a poor overall shot selection.
Milwaukee's made and attempted shots in the first quarter of Game 2 vs. the Nets:
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 8, 2021
Restricted Area: 0/0
Midrange: 5/10
3-Pointers: 3/10
Milwaukee has gotten away from who they are. Not getting any pressure on the rim. Have to also credit to Brooklyn for playing strong team D.
The Bucks being down 0-2 in embarrassing fashion does not fall solely on Antetokounmpo’s shoulders. However, with Khris Middleton pulling his best Houdini impression once again after an awful two-game stretch and Jrue Holiday still struggling to find his shot, the two-time MVP must play like it and keep his team alive. Simply put, his shot attempts from the paint need to skyrocket, while the attempts from the perimeter need to plummet before this deficit is too insurmountable to overcome.
dark. Next. Milwaukee Bucks: 3 X-factors for playoff series with Brooklyn Nets
With two days of rest before Game 3 in Milwaukee, hopefully Giannis and the Bucks are watching film from their regular season matchups with Brooklyn to see what worked well.