When you think of Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green, the first thing that comes to mind is shooting.
The undrafted guard out of Northern Iowa has steadily crafted a reputation for himself as one of not just Milwaukee’s most reliable floor spacers but one of the league's best shooters as a whole. He's built up a knack for punishing teams who leave him open at this point and earned the heavy minutes he's been playing in head coach Doc Rivers' rotation.
But Green’s value to the Bucks goes beyond his silky-yet-clunky jumper or even his more-than-respectable defense. There's one little thing he does that makes life easier for the stars around him, and the stats show it.
It’s his screen setting—yes, screen setting—that has quietly become a game-changer for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s offense.
Green's screen-setting is making life easier for Milwaukee's superstars
At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Green doesn’t exactly fit the profile of a bruising screen setter. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for in technique, timing, and an understanding of the Milwaukee Bucks’ offensive system. His willingness to embrace this unglamorous role has made him a sneaky weapon in unlocking Giannis Antetokounmpo's full offensive arsenal.
One of the most effective ways Green has helped Giannis is by setting inverted screens. Typically, a big man screens for a guard to create mismatches or open looks. In this case, Green flips the script, using his own defender—often a smaller, quicker player—as a shield to free Giannis on drives.
These inverted screens allow Giannis to attack the rim with a head of steam, often forcing opposing defenses to collapse and leave shooters open on the perimeter. It’s a subtle adjustment that adds variety to Milwaukee’s offense, giving Giannis more opportunities to exploit mismatches. It's the same role that Pat Connaughton used to play in years past, only this time involving a genuinely knockdown shooter with a lightning-quick release.
Green also excels at setting ghost screens—faking a screen and quickly slipping out to the perimeter for a catch-and-shoot three. His lightning-quick release and reputation as a knockdown shooter force defenses into a dilemma: do I commit to Green and risk leaving Giannis unguarded in the lane or do I instead stay with Giannis and risk Green getting an open three?
According to NBA.com/stats, AJ Green was tied with Andre Jackson Jr. among Bucks guards in total screen assists for the month of November. They were right after the entire center rotation in Lopez, Antetokounmpo, and Portis.
As a result, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who acts as the team's pick-and-roll ball-handler for almost 12 percent of his offensive diet, scores 1.14 points per possession in that play type.
Green occasionally does this for the team's other stars, too. According to PBP Stats, when Damian Lillard plays in lineups without Green, he registers a net rating of -9.1. That turns into a net rating of +13.2 the moment Green joins him on the floor.
This dynamic adds another layer of unpredictability to Milwaukee’s offense, keeping defenders on their heels and creating clean looks for both AJ Green and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s no coincidence that Giannis has looked more comfortable in certain lineups with Green on the floor. The two have developed a subtle but impactful chemistry, using screens and spacing to create high-efficiency opportunities.
Even when Green doesn’t directly contribute to a scoring play, his off-ball movement and screens help free up space for Giannis to operate. That gravity Green commands as a shooter amplifies the effectiveness of his screens, forcing defenders to think twice before hedging or switching.
The Bucks have long thrived on maximizing Giannis’ talents, but small tweaks like this show how role players like AJ Green can make a huge difference. By adding screen setting to his arsenal, Green has gone from being “just” a shooter to a multi-dimensional contributor who makes life easier for the two-time MVP.
As Milwaukee continues to refine its system with Damian Lillard and Giannis leading the way, don’t overlook the importance of Green’s subtle but effective contributions. In a league where even the smallest edges matter, AJ Green’s screens could be the key to unlocking the Bucks’ full offensive potential.
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