Making the Case: Donte DiVincenzo Should Play Point Guard

Down two point guards against the New Orleans Pelicans, head coach Mike Budenholzer could have easily plugged in Bryn Forbes as the starting point guard once more. Instead, he made the unlikely decision of placing starting shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo at point.

The result was nothing if not revelatory. On the heels of lockdown defense and three-level scoring, Donte held Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe to 5-13 shooting and notched the game-sealing charge. He finished with a career-high 24 points to go with seven boards, and nine assists. His +14 was second only to reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

It was, bar none, the best game of DiVincenzo’s young career so far.

As it stands, it’s not hard to see what his role on the team is. After the departure of Wesley Matthews, Donte took the starting SG position to provide defense and space the floor for Antetokounmpo. When he started the season a scorching hot 44% from three-point range, it seemed like Milwaukee had found its shooting guard of the future. He was excellent until he wasn’t. 

But if the win against New Orleans is any sign, perhaps Donte’s future with the Bucks is at the point guard position full-time. Here’s our case for why Point Donte could be a real thing moving forward. 

Donte DiVincenzo tonight:

24 PTS (9-16 FG and 4-7 3PT)
7 REB
9 AST
+14

Held Eric Bledsoe to 5-13
Game-sealing charge
Lockdown defense
Three-level scoring pic.twitter.com/SpxZsOwbd4

— ً (@BucksGotNext) February 26, 2021

The results speak for themselves 

The idea of Donte running the point shouldn’t be unheard of. It’s happened before, after all. He spent 52% of his minutes at the one spot during his freshman season but went on to spend 76% of his playing time over the next two years at shooting guard. 

In the 1,005 possessions that Donte played the point in the 2019-20 season, the Bucks outscored opponents by +10.6. The offense sputtered, for the most part, with a 111.6 ORtg (57th percentile), but the magic was on the other end of the floor. In those minutes, the Bucks held opposing teams to 101.0 points per 100 possessions and 48.7 effective field goal percentage. 

His impact as the ball-handler has translated throughout this season as well. 

According to Cleaning the Glass, in the measly 60 possessions that Bucks lineups played DiVincenzo at point, they outscored the opposition by a staggering +32.9 differential. In that span, the Bucks also notched an offensive rating of 128.3 points per 100 possessions and a defensive rating of 95.5 points per 100. 

They’re in the 100th percentile in both statistical categories. 

Donte excels with the ball in his hands

It’s not a coincidence that Donte’s skills shone when he played the point. His 34 minutes on the court then marked the most playing time he’s had in a game and the fifth-highest usage rate so far this season. 

Through 33 games this year, Donte’s game against New Orleans also saw his highest Game Score (26.9) and second-highest box plus-minus (15.5). He also recorded his third-highest assist percentage (31.5%) and offensive rating (153).

Beyond usage, the way he was used on the court departed from his usual role.

The Big Ragu was saucin' it up:

24 PTS (career-high) | 9 AST | 7 REB | 2 STL | 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/brf3MMQLuO

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 26, 2021

It’s not so much a matter of touches as it is usage. He’s fourth on the Bucks with 41.9 touches per game but is also eighth with his 2.89 seconds per touch on average. His 17.1% usage rate ranks 6th among Bucks with at least 600 minutes played. Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes are used more often in team plays than the starting shooting guard.

But in the team’s latest win, Donte’s average seconds per touch was bumped up to 3.47, while time per possession skyrocketed to 4.0. With the increased responsibilities, Donte came through. His play was more controlled on both ends of the floor, and having the ball in his hands gave him the confidence to attack. 

Having him out there simply to play defense and hit threes misses out on a lot of the talent and potential that saw him thrive in Villanova. With his blend of hustle and defensive fundamentals, he can easily take on a swiss army knife-type role where he’s free to drive and score at will. 

He’s a better scorer that way 

In Villanova, DiVincenzo excelled in a scoring role where he could be aggressive and play through his mistakes. Unfortunately, his scoring opportunities at the moment largely come from catch-and-shoots off kick-outs from Giannis. 

Consider his shooting numbers. According to NBA tracking data, he takes 51.8% of his shots without taking any dribbles and 58.9% having touched the ball for less than two seconds. Yet Donte shoots threes better (41.2%) when he has the ball for over 6 seconds versus when his touches last 2-6 seconds (38.5%). He’s 18-of-44 (40.9%) on pull-up jump shots as of this post. 

He’s also in the 65th percentile in isolation opportunities with a 50.0 effective field goal percentage on those plays, but (understandably) only gets 3.3 percent of his offensive possessions in the isolation. While DJ Augustin and Jrue Holiday get 42.2% (!!!) and 25.1% of their offensive possessions, respectively, as pick-and-roll ball-handlers, Donte only gets 20.2% despite being decent in the 53rd percentile of scorers. (Augustin is in the 31st.)

However, 37.2% of his shots are catch-and-shoots, while he only pulls up on 25.9% frequency despite having a 52.5 effective field goal percentage on them. 

It’s clear he’s the best choice

Regardless of position, DiVincenzo is already a high-impact player who contributes to winning basketball. When Donte is on the floor, the Bucks outscore opponents by +8.44 versus when he is off the floor. His +11.8 net rating leads the league among starting guards with at least 30 games played. He’s also second in defensive rating (107.3) and third in offensive rating (119.1) in that group. 

Somehow, he also has the fourth-worst usage percentage among them.

DJ Augustin’s minutes as Milwaukee’s backup PG have seen him largely underperform in the role the Bucks got him for. He’s a net -4.2 with defense that results in the team allowing 1.1 more points per 100. On the other end, his scoring does little to offset that. He’s slowly becoming unplayable with little, if any, performances to redeem himself. Right now, starting him could be the best way to cover his defense. 

When Bryn Forbes started at point guard for Milwaukee, the results were mixed, to say the least. Although he did hit 45.2% of his threes in that five-game span, he was only a net +0.2 to show for it. He also provided very little to the team besides spacing and scoring his 12.4 points per game. With him at PG, the Bucks allowed opposing teams to score 112.1 points per 100 possessions. It’s clear that he’s better suited as the team’s starting shooting guard.

On the other hand, Donte has only spent 7% of his minutes this season at the one spot, but is a net +27.8 when he’s the team’s point guard. When you consider that the alternatives are Augustin and an inexperienced Jaylen Adams, playing Donte as a PG is the easy choice. 

Donte takes the charge.

🔋 @we_energies 🔋 pic.twitter.com/vUz0DocIXS

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 26, 2021

Learning curve will be steep

He’s certainly not without flaws. Donte’s dribbling ability is nothing to write home about. His three-point shooting can be a bit spotty, and his finishing ability in the paint has been downright bad. He’s shooting 18.5% on shots 3-10 feet from the rim and 35.0% when shooting 10-15 feet from the basket. 

Some of it is mental too. He tends to be docile when playing around his All-Star teammates despite being a capable scorer in his own right. Donte excels when he’s at his most aggressive, but, for instance, only averages 4.2 drives per game. He nearly doubled that with 8 drives against New Orleans.