We only got 11 on-ball reps with Giannis screening for Lillard per Second Spectrum, but they were fruitful. Per the tracking data, a possession featuring a Lillard-Giannis pick-and-roll generated over 1.09 points per possession — the equivalent of a top-10 mark among high-volume pairings (min. 500 picks) last season.
In order, we have:
- A traditional middle pick-and-roll with Middleton one pass away, and Lopez relocating from the right dunker spot to the left corner. Giannis gets a bucket.
- The Bucks flowing out of “Get” action — a pitch ahead into a hand-back that flows into a pick-and-roll — with Lillard briefly drawing two defenders before tossing an off-target pass to Giannis.
- Lillard boogying behind multiple screen flips from Giannis before taking a three
- Lillard choosing Giannis’ screen to come off of and getting a free driving lane due to nonexistent help from the strong side corner, and Tucker committing to the roll from Giannis
You don’t see perfection in those clips — particularly the second and third ones — but that’s also the point. Kinks are being worked out and you can see how devastating the pairing was and will be.
Unpopular opinion: not as dangerous as I thought and the playoffs are going to come down to Middleton and others hitting shots,
I think that for the Bucks playing at home fully healthy facing a Sixers team on the road without Harden and Embiid playing like shit the Bucks are lucky they won the game. There were a lot of bullshit ref calls at the end that hurt the Sixers and the Bucks only won by 1 point.
Oubre fouls were not fouls, pull up the tape.
Insane coming from a Laker homer to make a statement like this when the Lakers barely edged out a win against what looked like KD only last night. “But we’re missing Vanderbilt.” 🤡
It’s always the dudes from San Diego who are extra cringe fans.
So, this was not my take after seeing them almost lose to a Philly team without Harden, with Maxey giving them the business.
But I get it. Bucks are good and should get better.
So not very.
As someone who’s watched Dame play a lot of times against the Nuggets especially in a playoff series he’s not always gonna shoot like that and Giannis is a decent screen setter not good