Four players in the NBA are averaging double-digit 3-point attempts per game, and AJ Green should strive to make it five. He's one of the best perimeter shooters in the business, and making him even more of a focal point in the offense could elevate the Milwaukee Bucks even further. It needs to come from a combination of Green being more aggressive and the Bucks drawing up more plays for him.
The Bucks are sitting on a gold mine they cannot afford to waste.
AJ Green still has another level to reach
Among 49 players averaging at least 6.5 perimeter attempts per matchup, Green currently leads the pack with a success rate of 49.3 percent. Yet, on that same list, his 6.8 attempts per game are among the 10 fewest. The wing feels like a volcano that is about to erupt, but the Milwaukee Bucks need him to get up more triples.
Doc Rivers and the staff should absolutely draw up more plays for the guard. While neither of them reached double-digit 3-point attempt averages, Ray Allen and JJ Redick are two players who had a great amount of perimeter shooting success under Rivers. It's time for Rivers to dust off the playbook and find ways to get his starting small forward more involved.
On paper, handoffs are a great way to get Green more shots, as he doesn't need much room to fire, which is evidenced by him shooting 50 percent on triples when given two to four feet of space. Yet, the Bucks have tried that, and he's shooting just 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) on such shots. That doesn't mean they should go away from it entirely. Instead, they should keep drawing them up and hoping that Green's pedigree as a shooter kicks in.
Green also has to be more aggressive. Constantly sharing the floor with tremendous playmakers in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ryan Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr., Green is going to find himself open often. As one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the entire NBA, he can make opposing defenses pay by constantly firing and not thinking twice about it.
In addition to having more plays drawn up for him and being more aggressive with his shot, Green has to stay on the floor to get said opportunities. The young wing has found himself in foul trouble early and often this season, leading the NBA in first-quarter fouls by a wide margin. If he cuts back on those, it will allow him to be on the floor longer and get more shot attempts.
Green has been good this season, but he and the Milwaukee Bucks need to realize he can be great before it's too late.
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