Donte DiVincenzo was originally set to make his 2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks season debut on December 15th, but he now finds himself in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. With a bit more time before the anticipated debut, we ask the question, has Grayson Allen cemented his place as the team’s starting shooting guard?
There are several factors worth looking into when comparing Allen and DiVincenzo. How has Allen has performed through 29 games this season, who has better skills, and then who fits better alongside the rest of the starters? Let us break it down.
How Grayson Allen has looked with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22 so far
In 29 games so far this season Allen is averaging 12.7 points, 3.6 rebounds while also shooting 40.7 percent on 3-point attempts, all of which are new career-highs. Allen’s prolific 3-point shot has helped him fit seamlessly with the Bucks this season, as he currently boasts the second-best 3-point percentage in the league among players that have attempted at least 200 triples, according to NBA.com/stats.
Everyone knows Allen can shoot the lights out, but with several Bucks sidelined due to injury or the health and safety protocols, he will have an expanded opportunity to show off what else he can do. One such area is his playmaking, which was on display as he found Pat Connaughton with a crafty pass on a fastbreak for a dunk in the team’s recent win over the Indiana Pacers.
Also, earlier in the season in an eventual overtime loss, Allen showed off some clutch at the end of regulation. Allen knocked down a high degree of difficulty shot after some crafty dribbling to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Grayson Allen's stepback sends Bucks/Celtics to OT on ESPN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8Zz8i7FdPw
— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2021
Examining Grayson Allen’s skillset compared to Donte DiVincenzo with the Milwaukee Bucks
Using Stathead to examine and compare several statistics on career numbers between Allen and DiVincenzo will also help give some context at examining who fits better with the starters.
Allen has the edge over DiVincenzo in true shooting percentage, effective field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and free throw percentage. However, DiVincenzo has the edge in statistics like rebounding, defensive box plus/minus, and player efficiency rating. What these statistics say is that Allen is the more effective player on offense and that DiVincenzo is a more well-rounded player. Let’s look at which skill set fits better alongside the rest of the starters
Who fits better with the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks starters?
Personally, I think Allen is the shooter and has shown himself to be so far this season gets the edge for being in the starting lineup for one big reason: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
DiVincenzo is the better rebounder and defender of these two shooting guards and the statistics support that. However, with Antetokounmpo on the floor, with Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and eventually Brook Lopez, the Bucks starting lineup will have those two areas well covered. What benefits Antetokounmpo the most is having shooters around him and that is why I believe Allen is the man for the starting lineup.
Furthermore, looking at the second unit, Pat Connaughton is shooting lights out so far this season so the second unit is covered for a locked and loaded shooter, what the second unit could use is defense, rebounding, and hustle plays. Guys willing to do dirty work, no disrespect to Jordan Nwora and Rodney Hood but they simply don’t provide those things the way DiVincenzo could for the second unit.
At the end of the day, I truly believe that Allen and DiVincenzo will end up playing near-identical minutes when the latter is 100 percent, and their roles will be nearly interchangeable. What’s certain is that when he is back the Bucks will be a stronger and deeper basketball team.