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Milwaukee Bucks: Kyle Korver Gives Needed Boost from Deep

By Paul Bretl

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 04: Kyle Korver #26 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the game at Target Center on November 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Bucks defeated the Timberwolves 134-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 04: Kyle Korver #26 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the game at Target Center on November 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Bucks defeated the Timberwolves 134-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The offseason addition of veteran Kyle Korver has given the Milwaukee Bucks a much-needed boost from three this season.

Last season was an all around dominant one for the Milwaukee Bucks. They led the NBA in wins, points per game with 118.1, and they had the league’s best defensive rating of 105.2. However, one area that they weren’t  the best in, and in fact were in the bottom half of the league was in three-point shooting.

In 2018-2019, the Bucks finished 20th in three-point shooting percentage making just 35 percent of those shots. And that inability to hit from beyond the arc was a big contributor to their downfall in the Eastern Conference Finals. That series against Toronto, Milwaukee would shoot only 31 percent from three on just over 38 attempts per game.

Under Coach Mike Budenholzer the Milwaukee Bucks want to either get their points in the paint on high-percentage shots, or let it fly from deep. And with a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo on your team who draws a lot of attention, having capable three-point shooters is a must. This gives him someone to pass to that can make defenses pay when they are too focused on Giannis. Which in turn helps free up Giannis more often since defenses now have to choose between helping in the paint or protecting against the three.

So part of GM Jon Horst’s approach this offseason was to of course bring back two of their core contributors in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, while also adding some veterans to the mix. One of which was sharp-shooter Kyle Korver who has been as advertised since joining the team and just a fantastic addition.

As everyone is aware, the 38-year-old Korver is a three-point specialist who has averaged 43 percent from deep over his career on nearly five attempts per game. And since joining the Milwaukee Bucks, he has been on absolute fire.

So far this season a majority of Korver’s minutes have been with Giannis which was to be expected since the main reason he was brought to Milwaukee was to help create space for the Greek Freak and shoot threes. In eight games this season he is playing nearly 16 minutes per game and is shooting almost 49 percent from deep on a career high 9.9 attempts per 36 minutes.

https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1192570675535503361

Although we are only 10 games into the 2019-2020 season, Giannis is averaging a career high in points per game and field goal percentage. While Korver certainly isn’t the sole reason for Giannis’ early season success, he has played a role.

dark. Next. Bucks Can Survive Stretch Without Khris Middleton

At this stage of his career as we’ve already seen, Kyle Korver isn’t going to be playing every night in an effort to preserve him for a long playoff run but when he is on the floor, he’s made an impact and has been a welcomed addition to this Milwaukee Bucks team.

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