The Milwaukee Bucks suffered their third loss to the Utah Jazz under the Doc Rivers regime on Sunday, 123-108. The Bucks had a twelve-point lead entering the 4th quarter but blew it tremendously. Why? Due to shooting woes. Utah outscored the Bucks 40-13 in the fourth quarter as Milwaukee shot four for seventeen on the court. However, not all losses are bad. There are some good things players and coaches can notice during a loss.
What is the one thing Doc Rivers liked about Giannis’s play in the game?
In the post-game press conference, Coach Rivers said he liked Giannis’s ability to pass the ball against Utah. The Greek Freak finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, and a game-high 13 assists. Rivers stated, “He should have had 30 assists.” It would’ve been possible for him to have a few more assists had the Bucks shot better in the fourth quarter.
On the other side of the game, the Utah Jazz shot an excellent 15/25 from the field on sixty percent shooting. Meanwhile, Milwaukee shot an abysmal 23.5% from the floor.
Via ESPN, Antetokounmpo stated:
“I don’t think it was the energy, I think we need to make shots,” Antetokounmpo said. “It was a lot of wide-open shots that we didn’t make. You make one or two, the momentum stops and it’s a whole different game.”
Giannis Improving As A Facilitator For The Milwaukee Bucks
It’s no surprise that Antetokounmpo improved more and more these past few seasons as an all-around player. Antetokounmpo is averaging 6.4 assists this season. He’s only second behind his teammate Damian Lillard‘s average of 6.8 assists. Giannis’s 6.4 assists is higher than his career average of 4.8 assists per game. This is the first time this season that he has eclipsed over six assists per game, as the closest he got to averaging six assists was with 5.9 in his 2020-2021 season.
Earlier this season, Antetokounmpo accumulated a career-high 16 assists in their 132-119 win over the San Antonio Spurs on December 19th. In the press conference, Doc said, “I love how he’s playing right now. He’s still aggressive.”
This loss brings the Bucks down to a 33-17 record. They will end their five-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Phoenix Suns are currently 29-21 in the Western Conference. They’re currently sixth in the Western Conference and third in their division.
Giannis Playmaking Compared To The Other Bigs In The League
With Greek Freak’s improved playmaking and facilitation, how does he compare to the other big men in the league? Aside from Nikola Jokic, who can play basketball in slow motion, IN REAL TIME, Giannis is better than what people may think as a facilitator. 76ers center Joel Embiid is averaging 5.7 assists this season. Kings Power Forward and Center Damontas Sabonis average eight assists per game so far this season.
Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat is averaging four assists this year. The Lakers center Anthony Davis is averaging 3.7 assists this year. The Boston Celtics center, Kristaps Porzingis, averages a low two assists per game, but he’s more of a glass cleaner and defensive-minded player. Suns power forward Kevin Durant averages 5.7 assists this season.
The Greek Freak’s ability to grow as a facilitator has increased tremendously since his 2017 season. Before this year, he was averaging five to nearly six assists per game throughout most of his career.
