Despite having an array of talented shooters on paper, the Milwaukee Bucks have been among the league's lesser long-range shooting teams this season. Their bench has held them back, with several players struggling to hit their shots. This has only amplified AJ Green's importance, as the two-guard is arguably the best shooter on the squad, and they need him on the court as much as possible.
Green's shooting is keeping bench on life support
On the season, Milwaukee's bench is shooting 39-of-120 (32.5 percent) on triples, ranking among the bottom feeders NBA-wide. Green is largely responsible for that number being as high as it is, as he is responsible for 16 of those makes, shooting a career-high 47.1 percent from distance on the season. Among bench players to attempt at least 30 triples, Green's success rate is the best in the league.
This group would be lost without him. He is one of three reserves shooting above 30 percent from the long line. Gary Trent Jr. is hitting 50 percent on 2-of-4 shooting. Nate Ament looks great, but he is just 4-of-9 in the early going. Those aren't big sample sizes. The other bench players who are getting their share of looks just aren't capitalizing.
Brayden Burries, prior to being promoted into the starting lineup, was just 5-of-17 (29.4 percent). Kel'el Ware is at 6-of-24 (25 percent). Despite showing elite shooting prowess last season, second-year guard Kasparas Jakucionis is shooting a mere 4-of-20 (20 percent) from deep. The struggles have forced Green to shoulder much of the burden and keep the ball rolling.
Jakucionis has a role to play here for the Bucks
As the Milwaukee Bucks look to steady the ship and start hitting triples with regularity, Jakucionis will be a crucial piece of the puzzle, both with his own shooting and how he sets up others.
During his rookie season, Jakucionis shot 42.9 percent from deep. That wasn't an accident. He was an elite marksman. As mentioned, that same success hasn't translated to Milwaukee, but that player is still in there. As long as he keeps firing with confidence, one has to think his current figure will rise, even if it doesn't reach the same heights as his rookie campaign.
The guard can also do the bench a favor by continuing to set his teammates up. His court vision is tremendous and can be used to find open teammates. So far, the Milwaukee Bucks' reserves have failed to pay off those good looks, with Ware shooting 1-of-6, Ousmane Dieng going 0-of-2, and Ament missing his lone attempt, off 3-point tries that came from a Jakucionis pass.
The only player, unsurprisingly, capitalizing here is Green, who has made four triples in nine tries in this particular situation. Pairing those two up more often feels like a recipe for success.
Milwaukee needs an answer, and so far, Green has stepped up. He cannot do it alone forever, though.
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