Bucks Film Room notebook: Nwora in transition, bench play and Brook’s blocks

Mondays are for the film room! Starting a new tradition here at Dairyland Express, every Monday I’ll head to the film room to break down what I saw the previous week from the Milwaukee Bucks and what it might mean moving forward.

Milwaukee finished their preseason schedule with a 1-4 record, however, wins and losses are (obviously) less important during exhibition games. Those counting stats will really mean something beginning this week when the Bucks tip-off their regular season against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, AKA RING NIGHT!!!!

Including Brooklyn, the Bucks have a pretty difficult first week that also features a trip to Miami on Thursday and then to San Antonio on Saturday. We’ll check in again next week to see how those games went, but first, here’s what I had in my notebook from the preseason games.

With the Milwaukee Bucks set to tip-off their 2021-22 season this week, let’s review how the preseason went and break down some film.

Gianniss’ jump shots

I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Giannis Antetokounmpo’s jump shot in this space. Everyone and their mom is all over this so far, as the reigning Finals MVP hasn’t been shy from taking pull-up 3s, mid-rangers and spinning baseline fades.

It’s been beautiful to watch, as he appears to have tweaked his shot once more–this time for the better. I’m not a shot doctor, and I have no idea if this change is here to stay or if it’s just a product of small sample sizes, so I’ll have to wait and see if it’s sustainable or not.

Also, his five-second, one-dribble free throw routine was brand new as well.

Bench rotation

It will be interesting to see what head coach Mike Budenholzer does with his bench this week. Milwaukee cashed in on their depth a couple of seasons ago in exchange for a top-heavy roster. This played out in their favor when their top guys were mostly able to stay healthy through a run to the NBA championship.

However, they’re already down a couple of rotational pieces to begin the season, and with Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday likely being brought along slowly after a short offseason, it will be interesting to see how the bench rotation plays out this week.

Bobby Portis–their primary/only big off the bench–has been ruled out against the Nets, as has Semi Ojeleye. You can expect George Hill and Pat Connaughton to get solid minutes, but there are a bunch of question marks after that.

Milwaukee almost has to go small with Antetokounmpo at the five for significant stretches. That means Jordan Nwora could get some run as a small-ball 4; or the OC Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Will Rodney Hood be healthy enough to play after missing most of the preseason?  Those are probably the only guys Budenholzer trusts, meaning it could be an awkward nine-man group on Tuesday night.

Nwora in transition

Nwora’s fit with the starting lineup as a shoot-first-ask-questions-way-later archetype remains to be seen. While that will get figured out, one thing was for sure during the preseason: he was flying down the court in transition whenever possible.

At just about every turn, Nwora would turn and sprint the length of the floor. And the best part is the Bucks’ starters seemed to be expecting this and were looking for him on the break. At 6-foot-8, Nwora is big enough to finish around the rim and athletic enough to outrun most guys down the court. His dangerous three-point shot–one which can be released on a whim–keeps opponents on their heels.

Milwaukee finished first in transition frequency in each of the last two years according to Cleaning the Glass. However, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, the Bucks slowed things way down during the preseason in favor of more pick-and-roll attacks. Milwaukee’s team is built to get out in transition, so it’s most likely they return to the run-and-gun team they showed during the last few years. That means they’ll continue to be plenty of opportunities for Nwora to inflict pain in the open court.

Brook’s blocks

Ever since arriving in Milwaukee, Brook Lopez has redefined his career as an elite rim protector and a perfect fit for Budenholzer’s drop pick-and-roll scheme. After posting a 3.7 percent and 4.3 percent block rate during his first two years in Milwaukee (both ranking in the 95th or higher percentile for his position according to Cleaning the Glass), respectively, that number plummeted to 2.6 percent last year. There was some concern the then 32-year-old had lost a step and wasn’t nearly the same interior force he was during his first two seasons.

The good news is Lopez looks back to his normal self in that department. He was all over the court during the preseason, averaging nearly three blocks a game.

In the above video, he finds himself in a precarious three-on-two situation after Holiday flies past his defender following a pump fake. As George Hill steps up to stop the ball, his man receives a bounce pass on the right block with Lopez still attached to his guy on the opposite side of the paint. After ensuring his man isn’t going to receive an alley-oop over the top, Lopez slides over and uses his enormous length to tap the shot attempt off the backboard and gain control of the rock.