The Milwaukee Bucks have quietly become the offensive juggernaut they threatened to be after trading for Damian Lillard shortly before the season began. It’s been a tumultuous start for the Bucks, as they’ve battled through their lead assistant coach resigning, an overmatched defense, and new players that didn’t immediately assimilate to their full offensive potential. However, it’s safe to say they’ve hit their offensive stride.
Milwaukee has the NBA’s third-best offense, scoring 120.4 points per 100 possessions. However, that number jumped to 125.9 over their past 10 games with their effective field goal percentage hitting a whopping 59.8 percent. Both of those would be NBA records if they held across an entire season. They also lead the league with 12 130-point games, all coming within their last 18 contests. Still, it seems like they have another gear to hit.
Over these last 10 games, Milwaukee has employed a balanced scoring attack led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Antetokounmpo puts immense pressure on the rim, relentlessly attacking his defender off the bounce and not bailing them out with threes—he’s only taking 1.4 threes per game during this stretch, the second-lowest rate of his career.
He’s taken 323 shots within four feet of the hoop. That’s 90 more than the second-placed Zion Williamson or the same difference between Zion and Kyle Kuzma, who has taken the 25th most shots around the bucket. The Lillard-Antetokounmpo pick-and-roll hasn’t materialized quite yet, but both guys are dangerous in their own rights. Lillard has found his preferred partner in Brook Lopez, as the duo has been extremely dangerous working together.
