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Milwaukee Bucks: 5 stats to know, including expected wins

By Brian Sampson

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 06: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks waits waits for the start of play during the first half against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on November 06, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) 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.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 06: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks waits waits for the start of play during the first half against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on November 06, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) 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. /
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The Milwaukee Bucks have cruised through their first few weeks of the season. Here are five stats you should know to catch up on the action.

Rim Protection

The Milwaukee Bucks have taken their rim protection to a whole new level this season. A year ago, they ranked first in the league by only allowing opponents to shoot 57.5 percent within four feet of the basket according to Cleaning the Glass. This year? That number sits at a stingy 52.7 percent.

Having multiple bigs who can deter shots around the rim is certainly a big factor. Brook and Robin Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo all keep other teams away from the basket. This is a primary element to their elite defense.

Transition

The Bucks are very good when they can get out and run in transition. A lot of their defensive principles, such as a focus on rebounding and not fouling, are in place in order to maximize their opportunities in the open court. And it’s working.

Milwaukee runs more often than anyone else-20.4 percent of the time to be exact. They also add 3.4 points per 100 possessions, good enough for seventh in the NBA, because of this transition play according to Cleaning the Glass. Guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe are the main catalysts in the open court, but everyone has a role to play.

Getting to the Rim

The Bucks have one of the best teams at generating shots around the rim over the past four season’s-never finishing lower than third in the league. However, their percentage has dropped way down this year. After taking 40.6 percent of their shots within four feet of the basket last year, that number has plummeted to 34.7 percent this year according to Cleaning the Glass.

Teams have made a concerted effort to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the paint and force him to kick it out to his teammates. This strategy has been feasible because Antetokounmpo converts such a high number of his attempts in the lane and his teammates are somewhat struggling from downtown. We’ll see if his guys can help make opponents pay for this strategy moving forward.

Strength of Schedule

Milwaukee had a brutal schedule to open the season, yet fared very well. Outside of a couple of blown double-digit leads against the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, the Bucks had a pretty good showing.

All of that has led to the Bucks having the most difficult schedule so far according to basketball-reference. This is great news for Bucks’ fans, as their team has continued to stay near the top of the conference standings despite this. Don’t be surprised to see them mount a huge winning streak, as their schedule evens out the rest of the month and into December.

Next. Preseason injury in the past for Bledsoe. dark

Expected Wins

Despite facing one of the most difficult schedules in the NBA, the Bucks have come out looking very good. They’ve piled up 10 victories in their first 13 games and have an efficiency differential of 9.2 points per 100 possessions, topping last season’s league-high mark of 9.1.

According to Cleaning the Glass, this 9.2 differential typically results in teams winning 63.2 games a season. That number would also top the Bucks 2018-20 campaign where they won 60 games. It will be interesting to see how this number evolves as the Bucks schedule gets much softer in the coming weeks.

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