Could O.J. Mayo Solve Milwaukee Bucks’ Point Guard Problems?

Last year, Bucks’ guard O.J. Mayo was a part of the problem. His struggle to keep his weight in check caused him to miss a number of games. None of the games mattered in the end as the team sputtered to a 15 -67 record, but it was a disappointment to fans who expected more out of the recent free agent signing.

Things are different this year, however. It’s nearly April and the Bucks are in the midst of a playoff hunt with a record of 36-38. The team isn’t without problems, though. One of these problems is the point guard play since the trade for Michael Carter-Williams and Tyler Ennis. Could O.J. Mayo flip the script this year and be part of the solution?

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To answer my own question, yes he can be, but it’s going to take an open mind on the part of the coaching staff.

If you asked a random person on the streets of Milwaukee what position Ovinton J’Anthony Mayo plays, you’d probably get one of three responses: “Who’s that?”, “Oh that’s what O.J. stands for!”, and “shooting guard.”

Mayo has been classified his whole life as a shooting guard because he can shoot. He grew up being the best player on every team he played on. Naturally, this put the majority of the scoring load on his shoulders causing him to develop an alpha male attitude on the court.

Reaching the NBA leveled the playing field more than in his past, but Mayo still plays with the confidence and swagger of a star. He’ll always have that scoring ability, but it’s been a different part of the former USC hoops star’s game that has caught my attention this year.

The underrated aspect and rarely mentioned part of O.J. Mayo’s game that I’m referring to is his ability to create open looks for others. There were glimpses of this on showcase throughout the season, but Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors was the final nail in the coffin for me.

The game started out in a way that reassured me of a frustration I’ve had throughout my year of watching the Bucks. The other team almost always gets better looks on offense than the Bucks.

It might not be fair to take a game against the West-leading Warriors for my example, but the Bucks’ offense was playing in a way that would have lost to most teams that night. The problem was a lack of ball movement and it wasn’t difficult to diagnose.

Although he wasn’t the only culprit, Michael Carter-Williams was a ball stopper and a shot forcer. Here’s a link to all nine of his shot attempts from the game.

He does a nice job on most of the plays at beating his man, but then the help defense steps up and causes problems. Carter-Williams attempts a lot of floaters and off balance shots in contact in these situations. Most of the floaters are solid looks, but he lacks the soft touch to make an efficient amount of them.

As Michael Carter Williams’ shot chart shows, none of the shots he takes are really efficient. His best skill is his passing ability, but his offensive mindset doesn’t reflect this. If he took his ability to reach the second level of the defense and was patient with the ball, he’d find a lot more opportunities present themselves as the defense reacts to having a ball handler inside of the arc.

A good example of this also comes from the Warriors game. Watch how something as little as a moment of hesitation while dribbling inside the arc creates an easier shot than a straight line drive.

Another way Carter-Williams could be more effective is if he trusted his teammates to make the right pass or play. He’s a ball-dominant point guard in an age where teams are transitioning away from this. Michael Carter-Williams’ goal for the rest of the season should be to lead the team in “hockey assists” (the pass before the pass for the assist).

The more he and the rest of the Bucks can get the ball moving around the court, the better.

Golden State did an excellent job in this regard on Saturday, unselfishly moving the ball with crisp passes. The flow of their offense greatly contrasted the Bucks’ offense, that is until the fourth quarter when O.J. Mayo re-entered the game.

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Behind the Buck Pass

Mayo dished out five assists in the final quarter of the game and helped the team achieve terrific ball movement. The Bucks scored 32 points in the period and outscored the Warriors by six to win their only quarter of the game. Here’s a look at the five assists Mayo was credited with.

He spent the quarter looking to create for others and it kept his teammates engaged. Players move much better off the ball when they know there’s a good chance they’ll get rewarded with a pass.

I’m not saying that Mayo is always in this distributing mode because there are nights where he is only looking to score. However, it seems like he can turn it off and on when he desires. If the coaches were willing to give him minutes at the point guard and surround him with scorers, they would reap the benefits of terrific ball movement.

All I’m asking is for the Bucks coaching staff to experiment a little with line ups to ease the transition from the “Own the Future” mantra to actually “Winning in the Future.” Creativity is necessary to achieve sustained success in the NBA and the Bucks should look to start that as soon as possible.

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