Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo needs the crunch-time possessions

The Milwaukee Bucks have been a good clutch team this year. They could be even better by putting the ball in the hands of Giannis Antetokounmpo every time.

The Milwaukee Bucks lost a tight game to the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday afternoon, a two-point overtime loss where Jason Terry‘s game-winning shot got off too late to count. It was an incredibly tight game late, with no team leading by more than 10 at any point in the final two frames.

It was their second overtime contest in as many games, after knocking off the Toronto Raptors on the road Friday night. The 122-119 final score was their 21st win in clutch games this season, per NBA.com, the fifth-most in the league. Overall they have won 61.8 percent of close games they have played in, also fifth-most in the league.

Milwaukee has found success in crunch-time this year, perhaps surprising given the up-and-down nature of their season and the defensive struggles they faced most of the year. But the Bucks have found consistent, balanced success late in games, with a top-eight rating in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

The loss to New Orleans, suddenly streaking up the Western Conference standings, is neither unusual nor deadly. Most Bucks fans would probably gladly take a 1-1 weekend record involving the East-leading Raptors and Anthony Davis. However, both games show that while the Bucks have been good in clutch moments, they could be even better.

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Three Milwaukee players have taken at least one shot per game in clutch situations, and it’s an unsurprising trio: Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. None of the three has been bad in these situations, all sporting positive plus-minus ratings. Middleton’s 47.4 percent field goal percentage is the lowest of the three.

But good does not mean best, and the Bucks have a clear area of opportunity before them. Milwaukee has had a balanced approach when it comes to crunch-time possessions, with all three players sharing the ball and effectively taking turns in taking late-game shots.

This seems fair, but it’s in fact hurting Milwaukee. Not because it is a bad idea to share, but because Antetokounmpo has been significantly better than his teammates — and indeed most of the league.

Among players who have taken at least 20 clutch shots, Antetokounmpo ranks fourth in field goal percentage behind Chris Paul, Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum (two rookies!). Raise that bar to 35 field goal attempts, and Antetokounmpo (52 shots) is the clubhouse leader by far. His 63.5 percent shooting is five percentage points better than second-place Kevin Durant (58.3 percent) among higher-usage clutch players.

The problem is that Milwaukee is not distributing the shots as if it has the league’s best high-volume clutch player on its team. Both Bledsoe (58) and Middleton (57) have taken more clutch shots than Antetokounmpo.

In the win over Toronto Friday night, Antetokounmpo hit a shot with 1:05 remaining in regulation to put the Bucks up by three. Milwaukee’s next two shots were missed by Bledsoe and Middleton, and Toronto was able to score at the buzzer to force overtime. The Bucks went on to win, but one more basket in regulation and they never have to play the extra frame.

In the loss to New Orleans on Sunday, the similar trend continued. Antetokounmpo took a shot with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, and would not shoot again until the final seconds of overtime — nearly an eight-minute span.

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While Middleton and Bledsoe hit key shots in regulation to force overtime themselves, in the overtime period it was just Middleton taking shots (outside of one missed Tony Snell 3-pointer). In the penultimate possession he held the ball, set up an isolation shot on the left wing, and was unable to beat Nikola Mirotic prior to a contested jumper that was blocked.

No one can prove definitively that Antetokounmpo would have made shots in overtime if he were given them, especially as he was working on overdrive defensively. He did miss the final shot of the game, after all. With that being said, the clutch statistics give proof that Antetokounmpo has been successful in clutch situations and would have been the best option.

No team can sustain itself offensively giving one single player the ball every time down the court. In general, it’s a positive that the Bucks share the ball on offense and keep all of their best players engaged.

Milwaukee has something very few teams in the league have, though: a bona fide superstar. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and can take almost any player in the league one-on-one. As his jumper develops, he is more and more dangerous with the ball in his hands.

By taking the ball from his hands and giving it to others, the Bucks are lowering their chances at winning close games. Not egregiously so, but noticeably, and teams such as the Bucks should take hold of every advantage to win games in the midst of a tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

Next: NBA Rookie of the Year ladder, Week 20

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a special offensive player. Now the Bucks need to show they know that too.