After an eventful offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have retooled with a solid and deep roster. Through three games of preseason action, they are establishing their team identity both with and without Giannis Antetokounmpo. As a team, the Bucks have shown that they are willing and capable of shooting tons of threes regardless of who is on the court.
The Bucks' shooting onslaught continues
In Sunday's matchup against the Bulls, the Bucks once again got up a ton of long-range attempts: 48 to be exact. They also made a very healthy percentage of them, finishing 20-of-48 for a 41.7 percent clip. This continues the Bucks' strong shooting from their other preseason contests, and they are now up to 17 made threes per game on 41 percent shooting over three games.
The Bucks have shooters spread out across their lineup and had nine different players attempt multiple threes this game. The team's leading shooter on the night was center Myles Turner, whose jumper stretches defenses to their limit. It can be quite difficult for opposing centers to guard someone who's capable of going 5-of-8 from three on any given night.
In prior preseason games, the Bucks showed that they could get up plenty of threes effectively without Giannis - they averaged 40 percent from three on 38.5 attempts per game in two games without their superstar. But the most recent game proved that having Giannis back in the lineup takes the shooting up to another notch. This is no surprise; Giannis draws the entire defense's attention when he's on the court and knows how to set his teammates up.
Giannis will have a symbiotic relationship with the Bucks' supporting cast if this level of shooting sustains throughout the season. His drives will open up open shots for shooters, who will then open up more driving lanes for Giannis when defenders are afraid to leave them open. If the Bucks as a team can continue to shoot near 40 percent from three on incredible volume, the team's offense will be impossible to guard.
The volume component is a key element for the Bucks' 3-point attack. If opposing defenses believe that the Bucks' shooters are afraid to shoot unless completely open, they will be bolder in pressuring Giannis and suffocating the Bucks. So it's very important for Bucks shooters to also take (and make) semi-contested shots within the flow of the offense. Fortunately, the shooters on this team are good enough to make even tough looks.
Although the Bucks have been relentlessly bashed for lacking a dominant secondary scorer, they can make up for this weakness with a well-balanced shooting attack. They have many players with a chip on their shoulder, and the best way to prove their worth is by playing their role well and knocking down open shots. It's clear the Bucks will lean into this strategy to make the most of their roster.