Following the resumption of play after the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks boast a 3-1 record.
While they've managed to win some games, it's clear that one area the Bucks are lacking in is their second-unit production. After averaging 36.8 bench points per game, the 13th most in the league, prior to the All-Star break, that number has dipped to 27.3, 25th in the NBA, during the team's first four games back in action.
If the Bucks want to alleviate pressure off of their stars and get them some actual rest rather than running them into the ground, they need help from the bench. It doesn't help that Bobby Portis, an often reliable second-unit scorer, is currently suspended and won't be back for 21 more games. The Bucks need someone to fill the void, and there are two particular players who could help.
The Bucks need more from reserve duo
During these four games, newcomer Kevin Porter Jr. has been the main source of production off of the bench on the scoring front, averaging 10 points on 51.6 percent shooting. He should see a large increase in minutes, but he can't keep this second unit afloat by himself. Two players the Bucks need to step up alongside him are AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr.
While they both had their rough patches, Green and Trent, when they were clicking, both provided a needed source of offense off the bench earlier this season. At the All-Star break, Trent was averaging 10.3 points while shooting 42.9 percent from distance while Green was at 7.7 points on 42.7 percent shooting on his 3-pointers. That efficiency has dipped mightly since the break.
Over the last four games since the resumption of play, Green is shooting 36.7 percent from distance, while Trent is hitting 25 percent of his triple tries. They are averaging 8.8 and 9.3 points respectively. These two finding their strides and getting those 3-point numbers up to their pre-All-Star break status could be the jolt this Milwaukee Bucks' bench needs to keep kicking without Bobby Portis.
The good thing is that four games is a small sample size, and both Trent and Green are lethal shooters from long distance. Perhaps they are shaking off some post-All-Star break rust. For the sake of the Milwaukee Bucks' bench, let's hope so. For now, all these two marksmen can do is keeping firing away and hope they get into a groove.
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