Milwaukee Bucks: Tony Snell needs to step up

The Milwaukee Bucks are still being hit by injury. As a result, Tony Snell needs to step up.

The second unit of the Milwaukee Bucks has lost a lot of scoring punch. Losing Malcolm Brogdon for 6-8 weeks has cost the team 13.3 points and 2.2 assists per game. They have also lost Matthew Dellavedova‘s 4.4 points and 3.2 assists per game for a few weeks.

Part of this has been offset by the return of Jabari Parker, but he has been only been able to contribute 9.3 points per game in his six games back. This is where Tony Snell, who was previously starting, needs to step up.

Looking at his last 10 games, Snell has been nothing short of a disappointment on offense. Snell is one of six Bucks players who has played in all 10 games, playing the third-most minutes on the team with 29.6 per game.

In this time, Snell has struggled. He is averaging a paltry 4.9 points per game compared to his season average of 7.4 per game. This drop-off would be acceptable if not for the drop in his shooting percentages.

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For the season, Snell is posting .442/.411/.775 splits, which is quite respectable. In the last 10 games, this line is a disappointing .304/.364/1.000. Dips in numbers are expected throughout a full 82-game NBA season but this is an alarming dip for a 3-and-D player.

Snell has started eight of the last 10 games, so it is not as though he is coming off the bench cold. He’s playing with the best unit and is simply not producing. It is lucky the Bucks have gone 7-3 in this span, and it’s also lucky his main competitors for minutes are not playing due to injury.

The argument can be made that Snell’s defense is the reason he is starting. Andre Roberson of the Oklahoma City Thunder plays a similar role. Roberson is also a 6’7″ combo small forward/shooting guard who starts (when healthy) for a contending team. His shooting percentages this season are .537/.222/.316, which, except for the field goal percentage, should see him out of the NBA.

However, Roberson’s defense was rewarded with an All-NBA defensive honor last season. Snell is not even the best defender at his position on the team; this honor goes to Khris Middleton.

Where to from here

Hopefully, for the Milwaukee Bucks and Tony Snell, the All-Star break has come at the right time. A week off in the middle of the season can really refresh a player. Snell needs to take stock of how he is shooting and playing.

At the moment, Snell is not able to space the floor, which means his defender can leave him more open and act as a help defender. Snell needs to concentrate on his best skills, those being his defense and 3-point shooting. He has a few weeks to get this right before Dellavedova returns. Two or three weeks after that, Brogdon will return. If Snell has not sorted his issues out by then, expect him to lose playing time.

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Snell is in the first year of a four-year deal, so he needs to show more or he is a risk of being dealt in the offseason. If he can get it right, Snell could help the Bucks in a deep playoff run. Let’s hope for all Milwaukee Bucks supporters he gets it right.