The Milwaukee Bucks don’t need to search far and wide for solutions to their defensive inconsistencies and lack of flexibility—they already have one: play Giannis Antetokounmpo more at center, and unleash the Milwaukee Bucks' own take on the vaunted Warriors "Death Lineup."
So far this season, Giannis has spent just four percent of his minutes at the center position. The remaining 96 percent has been as a power forward, flanked by Brook Lopez or Bobby Portis in traditional big-man roles.
While Lopez and Portis have been invaluable in their own ways, both have clear limitations. Lopez struggles to defend in space against quicker, more versatile lineups, and Portis, though capable offensively, has been inconsistent on defense.
Giannis at center has worked for the Milwaukee Bucks in the past
The proof of concept for Giannis at center isn’t just hypothetical—it’s proven. During the 2021-22 season, Antetokounmpo played 32 percent of his minutes as the team’s nominal center, and the Bucks thrived, boasting a net rating of plus-7.4 in those lineups.
Giannis’ unmatched combination of size, agility and defensive instincts allows Milwaukee to field faster, switchable lineups that can both disrupt perimeter scorers and defend the rim effectively.
In Milwaukee's last year under Mike Budenholzer - who made a living by using the regular season as a laboratory of sorts to experiment with the team's schemes and lineups - centers shot 54-of-112 (48.2 percent) with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the closest defender.
While Lopez anchors one of the league’s top defenses in drop coverage, modern NBA offenses, particularly those of contenders like the Boston Celtics, have increasingly emphasized five-out schemes with stretch bigs.
This puts Milwaukee’s traditional bigs at a disadvantage, forcing them to defend on the perimeter, where they’re often exploited. Playing Giannis at the five mitigates this issue. His ability to cover ground and switch onto guards provides the Milwaukee Bucks with the versatility they sorely need in those matchups.
Take, for example, Milwaukee’s loss to Boston earlier this season. The Celtics exploited Lopez’s and Portis’ inability to defend the 3-point line, repeatedly pulling them out of the paint and attacking the resulting gaps. A Giannis-at-center lineup would have countered this by allowing Milwaukee to switch screens more seamlessly and prevent open looks on the perimeter.
Past experience has shown us that the drop coverage that Lopez and Portis require only works with an excellent point-of-attack defender navigating ball screens out on the perimeter. It's a strategy that worked in the past because ball handlers had the likes of Eric Bledsoe, Jrue Holiday or Wesley Matthews behind them, the hulking Lopez in front of them and Antetokounmpo ready to play help as a free safety of sorts.
While the Bucks do have competent perimeter defenders, having Lillard at point guard will always put something of a cap on the defense's overall effectiveness. It also doesn't help that the team's best perimeter defender is routinely given a short leash and benched even in matchups where his pressure defense would help the most.
Giannis at center is low-hanging fruit, but it's still just a bandaid solution
Of course, playing Giannis Antetokounmpo at center isn’t without its drawbacks.
Playing him in this role full-time risks wearing him down over the course of a grueling season, especially given the physical toll that comes with battling larger bodies in the paint. That’s why it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Doc Rivers doesn’t need to overhaul his system; he just needs to sprinkle in more Giannis-at-center minutes situationally.
The Milwaukee Bucks don’t need a new signing or a midseason blockbuster trade to address their defensive issues. Sometimes, the simplest answers are the most effective. Milwaukee has a two-time MVP who is more than capable of handling this role, and the team’s best lineups in the past have already proven it works.
It’s time for Doc Rivers to lean into this proven strategy. Giannis at center isn’t just an option—it’s the low-hanging fruit that could solve plenty of the Milwaukee Bucks' problems.
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