{"id":112116,"date":"2024-12-14T12:00:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T17:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=112116"},"modified":"2024-12-14T11:46:19","modified_gmt":"2024-12-14T16:46:19","slug":"numbers-behind-bucks-recent-rice-key-stats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/14\/numbers-behind-bucks-recent-rice-key-stats\/","title":{"rendered":"The Numbers Behind the Bucks\u2019 Recent Rise: 3 Key Stats"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Milwaukee Bucks started the season with a disappointing <\/span>2-8 record<\/span>, raising questions about their ability to contend for a championship. Since then, however, they\u2019ve turned things around in dramatic fashion. <\/span>Over their last 14 games, the Bucks have gone 11-3,<\/a> including a win against Orlando<\/a> in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, showcasing their offensive firepower, improved cohesion, and elite execution in key areas. Here are three stats that highlight why the Bucks are trending upward.<\/p>\n

The Numbers Behind the Bucks\u2019 Recent Rise: 3 Key Stats<\/span><\/h2>\n

(Corner) 3-Point Efficiency<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Bucks lead the league in <\/span>corner 3-point percentage<\/a> (50.2%)<\/span>, showing their ability to capitalize on one of basketball\u2019s most valuable shots. <\/span>Overall, Milwaukee\u2019s shooting from beyond the arc has been elite, as they are tied for 2nd in the NBA in three-point percentage<\/a> (39.3%), alongside the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n

Players like <\/span>Taurean Prince<\/span><\/a>, who leads the entire NBA in <\/span>three-point percentage<\/a> (53.6%)<\/span>, and <\/span>AJ Green<\/span><\/a>, shooting an impressive <\/span>47.5%<\/a> from deep<\/span>, have been instrumental in this success<\/a>. <\/span>Damian Lillard\u2019s<\/a> elite playmaking and Giannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s<\/a> ability to draw defenders have created high-quality looks from the corners. This floor spacing has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee\u2019s resurgence, allowing the Bucks to punish opponents from beyond the arc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Effective Shooting in Wins<\/span><\/h3>\n

When the Bucks win, they win efficiently. Their <\/span>effective field goal percentage<\/a> (60.2%)<\/span> in victories ranks 3rd<\/span>\u00a0in the NBA<\/span>, reflecting their ability to capitalize on high-quality scoring opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

This success has been driven by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 32.7 points per game on 61.2% shooting, after becoming the first player in NBA history<\/a> last season to average over 30 points on 60% shooting. Damian Lillard adds another 25.8 points per game, keeping defenses on their heels with his long-range shooting.<\/p>\n

The return of Khris Middleton<\/a> has further complemented this efficiency. Despite limited minutes, Middleton has averaged 6.3 assists per game<\/a> in his first three games back, showcasing his ability to create scoring opportunities for others, which has elevated the Bucks\u2019 overall offensive cohesion.<\/p>\n

Mid-Range Excellence<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Bucks are proving that the mid-range game is still alive and well. Ranking sixth<\/a> <\/span>in mid-range field goal percentage (44.1%)<\/span>, while<\/span>\u00a0attempting the second-most<\/a> mid-range shots in the league, behind only the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee has added versatility to its offense.<\/p>\n

Bobby Portis<\/span><\/a> has been a key contributor lately, with <\/span>23.0%<\/a> of his points coming from mid-range<\/span>. While Portis has struggled for consistency this season, he\u2019s been dominant in his last two games<\/a>, averaging <\/span>22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds <\/span>on incredible <\/span>86\/88\/67 splits<\/span>, with a true shooting percentage of <\/span>100.8%<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/span> has also made significant strides in this area<\/a>, improving his midrange efficiency to make defenses pay when they try to wall him off. \u00a0<\/span>This midrange reliability adds an extra layer to Milwaukee\u2019s offense, giving them options in tight playoff-style situations when defenses often take away the three-point line and the paint.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the Stats: What\u2019s Next for the Bucks<\/h3>\n

The Bucks\u2019 recent performance is more than just a hot streak\u2014it\u2019s evidence of a team finding its rhythm and establishing its identity. The addition of Khris Middleton\u2019s<\/a> playmaking and vision has further enhanced the Bucks\u2019 offensive fluidity, while standout contributions from the bench show the depth of this team.<\/p>\n

However, the work is far from over. To maintain their momentum, the Bucks must continue building on these strengths and refining their chemistry as the season progresses. The next step in their journey could come in the <\/span>Emirates NBA Cup<\/span>, where they face the Atlanta Hawks<\/a> in the semifinals. Securing the Cup<\/a> would not only add a trophy to their collection but also further solidify their status as one of the most dangerous teams in the league.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Milwaukee Bucks started the season with a disappointing 2-8 record, raising questions about their ability to contend for a championship. Since then, however, they\u2019ve turned things around in dramatic fashion. Over their last 14 games, the Bucks have gone 11-3, including a win against Orlando in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, showcasing their offensive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5312,"featured_media":112162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,2,15,62],"tags":[49366,187,306,324,1383],"class_list":["post-112116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-featured","category-bucks","category-nba","tag-aj-green","tag-damian-lillard","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-khris-middleton","tag-taurean-prince"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5312"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112116"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112163,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112116\/revisions\/112163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}