Donte DiVincenzo’s perimeter shooting
If the Milwaukee Bucks are synonymous with one thing (outside of being the homeland of Antetokounmpo) it is with shooting the basketball, rather exclusively from the 3-point line. They were shooting 38.7 of them this season, for example (good enough for 4th in the entire league).
Up and down their entire lineup, everyone can shoot the rock from deep. It is an expectation within the roster (maybe even a necessity) when surrounding Antetokounmpo. Luckily for DiVincenzo, he fits right into that “lineup requirement” quite nicely.
He isn’t the most prolific scorer in the league, or even on the Bucks for that matter, but he is trending in the right direction. Last season he only made 26.5 percent of his 3.1 3-pointers per game; this season he was making 34.4 percent of his 3.7 3-pointers per game. To even further elaborate on that improvement, post-All-Star break he was making 35 percent of his 3’s.
A lot of DiVincenzo’s jumpers are out of catch-and-shoot situations. He does have the ability to create his own shot, but on a Bucks team with guys like Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Bledsoe; there isn’t much of a reason for him to. Eighty percent of his made 3-pointers were assisted on this season, many of those assists came from Antetokounmpo.
Speaking on “lineup requirements” for Milwaukee’s scheme once more, being in Antetokounmpo’s crosshair on the perimeter is very important. The ball is in his hands a lot, so it’s important to have his trust on kick-out situations; DiVincenzo evidently has that.
Again, he obviously isn’t the best 3-point shooter on the planet (not even close). But, he’s improving at a promising rate and is consistent enough to hold a substantial role on offense. And considering the fact that he isn’t confined to only being a shooter makes that even more the case. DiVincenzo is anything but a one-dimensional offensive threat.