We only got 11 on-ball reps with Giannis screening for Lillard per Second Spectrum, but they were fruitful. Per the tracking data, a possession featuring a Lillard-Giannis pick-and-roll generated over 1.09 points per possession — the equivalent of a top-10 mark among high-volume pairings (min. 500 picks) last season.
In order, we have:
- A traditional middle pick-and-roll with Middleton one pass away, and Lopez relocating from the right dunker spot to the left corner. Giannis gets a bucket.
- The Bucks flowing out of “Get” action — a pitch ahead into a hand-back that flows into a pick-and-roll — with Lillard briefly drawing two defenders before tossing an off-target pass to Giannis.
- Lillard boogying behind multiple screen flips from Giannis before taking a three
- Lillard choosing Giannis’ screen to come off of and getting a free driving lane due to nonexistent help from the strong side corner, and Tucker committing to the roll from Giannis
You don’t see perfection in those clips — particularly the second and third ones — but that’s also the point. Kinks are being worked out and you can see how devastating the pairing was and will be.
So, this was not my take after seeing them almost lose to a Philly team without Harden, with Maxey giving them the business.
But I get it. Bucks are good and should get better.
As someone who’s watched Dame play a lot of times against the Nuggets especially in a playoff series he’s not always gonna shoot like that and Giannis is a decent screen setter not good