Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard need to be running this one play more often

The addition of Damian Lillard for the Milwaukee Bucks was supposed to solve a ton of problems offensively, among them the fact that Giannis no longer has to be the focal point offensively. Lillard’s presence, in theory, should open up opportunities for Giannis to get easy baskets. In practice, however, the offense has been a little off. This is primarily because of the lack of pick-and-roll sets being run for Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Bucks freelance writer Louis Zatzman had an interesting thread on what has gone into the lack of pick-and-rolls being run for the pair guys this season.

The departure of Terry Stotts hurts here because Stotts was supposed to be the main play-caller offensively, and with him gone, Joe Prunty is left to dial up offensive sets. This wouldn’t have been the worst situation in the world, but having less than a week to prepare isn’t a lot of time. During his tenure with the Trail Blazers, Stotts utilized the pick-and-roll at a high level, especially when Portland had LaMarcus Aldridge and Lillard.

During his tenure as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd, Prunty didn’t utilize the pick-and-roll often, as Milwaukee was in the middle of the pack or below. It’s not a concern yet, but Joe Prunty doesn’t need to overcomplicate the offense. Just run a simple set for Lillard and Giannis to get into a rhythm.

If the middle is clogged up, there should be a shooter at each corner, so Giannis will have an outlet to kick it to. Last time I checked, Malik Beasley, Cameron Payne, and Pat Connaughton are still on the roster. Those players should be utilized more in pick-and-roll situations.

In short, the offense is easier to defend without Giannis being involved in the play. Teams will load up and stop Giannis from gaining a full head of steam going to the rim. Opponents will willingly leave Giannis alone on the wing and force him to take jump shots.

This is the counter to stopping a Giannis-Dame pick-and-roll. Playing drop coverage will work on this duo because teams will live with Giannis shooting outside the paint. Damian Lillard hasn’t fully activated Dame Time yet, and it’s an adjustment period for Dame because he’s used to being the do-it-all superstar he was in Portland. Now he has a legit running mate, and there are times when Damian defers to Giannis, and times Giannis defers to Dame. This partnership is less than a month old, and as the season goes on, expect Milwaukee to be more efficient offensively.