In a season full of bright lights and high expectations, the Bucks have the potential to do something special. The NBA has transformed into a long-ball-dominant league. Three-point shots are more common and abundant these days, and some teams in particular have embraced taking them more than others.
Bucks Improve Long-Range Capabilities
Through the 2022-23 season thus far, the Bucks have continued their hot shooting from beyond the arc. The team averages 14.5 three-pointers made and 36.5 three-pointers attempted. These numbers are not only an improvement over last year, but they also reveal the shooting ability of the Bucks.
Way back during the 2016-17 season, the Bucks sat in the bottom eight in the league for three-pointers attempted and made. The Bucks drastically changed the composition and play style of the team for the 2018-19 season, where they shot 38.2 threes per game, which ranked second in the league. The team has transformed with the league and they have been on the cusp of leading the league in three-point shots made per game. This may be the season when the Bucks can capture that elusive crown.
Can the Bucks Lead the NBA in Threes Made?
Throughout the 2021-22 season, the Milwaukee Bucks consistently held a spot among the top teams in the league for three-pointers attempted and made. The Bucks ended the season at number five behind the Rockets for three attempts, averaging 38.4 per game. Along with that, the team also averaged 14.1 shots made, which ranked fourth. The important takeaway from last season is the differential between the Bucks and the league leader.
The team was only .7 made three-pointers per game behind the leader, Minnesota. For three attempts per game, the Bucks were 2.9 behind but managed to shoot 36.6% from deep. This percentage ranked above all the teams that sunk more three-pointers than the Bucks last year. Milwaukee needs to continue to shoot consistently to beat out the rest of the NBA, and they have been doing just that. Through the first two games, Milwaukee has shot 39.7% from beyond the arc.
The Snipers Assemble
Brook Lopez, Grayson Allen, and Jrue Holiday have accounted for 20.5 three-point attempts per game thus far. They have made 7 combined three-pointers with a few more misses than they would like, but still a respectable amount of makes. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been making 1.5 threes a game on three attempts and choosing his shots wisely. It is still extremely early so nearly every statistic is inflated, but the Bucks are finding their groove.
The Bucks are still without Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton, who both averaged over two threes made per game last year. At times it seems like their absence can be felt when players are forced to take shots they don’t seem comfortable with. Brook Lopez seems comfortable, but his nine three-point attempts per game right now is a result of the circumstances. Once the team is returned to the natural lineup, the scoring and shot selection should continue to improve. Adding back two more threats from deep could help Milwaukee contend for the most three-pointers made per game this year.
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