4 Strengths of the Milwaukee Bucks bench for the 2023-24 NBA season

Bench Strength No. 3: 3-point shooting

It’s not the first thing you think of when you look at the depth for the Milwaukee Bucks, but they have a variety of guys on the second and even third units who can shoot the ball at an efficient rate.

Case in point A.J. Green, who saw limited action, but when given a chance, he was able to rise to the occasion. In 35 games last season, he nailed almost 42 percent of his threes while attempting three triples a game. As his role grows for the Milwaukee Bucks, those numbers will only get better, and his overall shot volume will grow also. Green isn’t the only marksmen for the reserves, as Portis and Crowder are both very capable 3-point shooters.

Portis has been a consistent shooter from deep throughout his time with the Milwaukee Bucks. With his ability to stretch the defense, he’s presented opposing teams with matchup issues and can bring out mismatches against other reserve groups. Having a dribble-drive type of offense and bringing in more lethal scorers gives players like Portis a chance to shine from deep by spotting up in the corner and forcing teams to recover late. When the Milwaukee Bucks can take one shooter out of the lineup and replace him with another, especially one that is a 6-foot-9 forward, it opens the door for so many scoring chances offensively.

You can even add Crowder into the mix of players in the reserve unit who can shoot the three-ball. His ability to move without the ball and set himself and others up for open shots gives the Milwaukee Bucks a deeper element in their offense. His shooting was on full display in the small sample size he had last year with the Milwaukee Bucks, as he was above 40 percent from deep in 18 games. As he develops a bigger role with the Bucks, we will start to see his ability as a true 3-and-D player come into full form and continue to expand the offense.