The media might not recognize it in the MVP voting, but anyone paying close attention to the Milwaukee Bucks knows that Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting together yet another all-time great season.
He’s simply been a different animal at age 30; he's averaging MVP-caliber numbers, his mid-range shot looks smoother than ever, and he remains one of the most dominant two-way forces in the league. The Milwaukee Bucks are near the top of the Eastern Conference, and with Damian Lillard by his side, the team still has championship aspirations.
But if Giannis truly wants to win another ring, there’s one skill he needs to fully commit to that he has yet to really embrace thus far in his illustrious career—and that's setting hard, physical screens and embracing the pick-and-roll as a roller.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to evolve as a screen and roll threat
On paper, the Dame-Giannis duo should be the most devastating pick-and-roll combination in the NBA. One of the greatest pull-up shooters in league history, paired with arguably the most dominant downhill force the game has seen. But in reality, we just haven’t seen it reach that level.
The biggest reason might be simpler than many of us realize, and it's that Giannis doesn’t screen hard enough. It makes sense for someone who's had the ball in his hands for most of his career. Giannis has never had to play next to a teammate like Damian Lillard before.
But the eye test shows how noncommittal he is in this extremely important basketball skill. Instead of planting firm, bone-rattling screens, he often ghosts them, slipping too quickly into his roll before giving Lillard enough separation.
As a result, defenders can stick with Lillard, and the play's supposed advantage fizzles out altogether before it even materializes. The Milwaukee Bucks go through possession after possession playing this your-turn-my-turn brand of offense, and it's put a cap on their 14th-ranked offensive rating.
And the numbers back it up. Considering his bulky frame and inward gravity in the interior, Giannis is averaging just 2.1 screen assists per game, which have been good for just 4.9 points per game—shockingly low for someone who should be generating wide-open looks for one of the league’s best shooters. To put that number into perspective, even smaller guys like Bam Adebayo (3.4) and Guerschon Yabusele (2.5) are setting better screens than Giannis Antetokounmpo right now.
The Milwaukee Bucks are already struggling with execution late in games. They rank 28th in fourth-quarter scoring (26.3 fourth-quarter points per game), and much of that comes from a lack of structure when the game slows down.
The easiest way to fix that would be to lean into the Lillard-Giannis pick-and-roll. In theory, defenses will have to pick their poison—either commit to Lillard and let Giannis get a free runway to the basket or stay back and watch Lillard pull up for a three. Except the Bucks system already does give that play a fair amount of run.
Without the proper commitment and execution to generate consistent advantages for the team, it's just not a very efficient play for them right now. A team with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard has no business ranking in the mid-80th percentiles in the pick-and-roll.
Teams are already scouting this weakness in the regular season, and you can bet that in the playoffs, they will do everything they can to exploit it. Defenders will fight through weak screens, hedge harder on Lillard, and dare Giannis to be a difference-maker in areas outside his comfort zone. If he continues to slip screens without making real contact, the Milwaukee Bucks' offense could stagnate when it matters most.
Giannis is too dominant, too skilled, and too smart to let something as fundamental as screen-setting hold him back. If he buys in and commits to making life easier for Lillard and fully embracing the two-man game, the Milwaukee Bucks' offense could reach an entirely new level.
He doesn’t need to become Steven Adams overnight, but setting strong, well-angled screens should be a non-negotiable part of his game. It’s the missing piece for this Bucks team, and if Giannis wants a second championship, it’s time to finally embrace it.
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