Milwaukee Bucks: 5 keys to series vs. Celtics
4. Deploy Giannis Antetokounmpo at center whenever possible
At 6’11″m Giannis Antetokounmpo is as tall as most centers, and taller than many. His length and strength make it perfectly reasonable for him to see minutes at the 5. The idea of such lineups — increasing offensive output without sacrificing much defensive protection — is tantalizing, and it’s been curious that Jason Kidd and Joe Prunty have largely ignored these lineups.
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There are two most likely answers for why Antetokounmpo-at-center lineups have not been used more prevalently. The first is to protect his body; banging down low with centers is hard and painful. The second answer is that these lineups have been bad.
Digging deeper, while lineups with Antetokounmpo at center have been very negative this season, that’s because Khris Middleton-at-power forward lineups have been awful. The former 2-guard is clearly out of his element guarding power forwards.
Lineups with Jabari Parker at the 4 and Middleton at the 3 have seen only a handful of minutes and deserve a longer look. Such a lineup could destroy Brad Stevens’ rotation, as he would ideally be playing Aron Baynes or Greg Monroe for the majority of the game — and neither one can guard Antetokounmpo.
There is no guarantee that those lineups would work, but it has to be tried. As the underdog — even with the Celtics’ injuries, they’re still the favorites — the Bucks need to focus on creative approaches.