© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Doc Rivers says the Milwaukee Bucks must use their length to their advantage on defense
The Milwaukee Bucks' defense took center stage on Tuesday when they walloped the Charlotte Hornets, 123-85, for their third win in a row. Bucks coach Doc Rivers lauded his wards' activity on the defensive end as they got into the bodies of the Charlotte players, forcing them into difficult shots and bad passes. It's a trend that Rivers hopes the Bucks can continue as they march to the postseason.
Incredible length
Although the perimeter still lacks a point-of-attack defender like Jrue Holiday, the Bucks' frontcourt is led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, a former Defensive Player of the Year who, at times, can be everywhere all at once. The Greek Freak's arms seem to stretch for days, gobbling up rebounds and blocking shots on the weak side. But he's not the only one on this team with incredible length.
Brook Lopez is a towering presence in the paint, using his height and wingspan to intimidate opponents and alter shots. And then there's Bobby Portis, who may not be as tall as Lopez but makes up for it with his energy and hustle on defense.
"Our deflections over the last four or five games have just skyrocketed. We talked about it, like, how don't we have a lot of deflections? We're fast, we're long, we should get our fingertips on a lot of balls," Rivers said.
Building good habits
Giannis added he's pleased with how the Bucks are building good habits with the postseason looming. He cited a play late in the game wherein the team got upset when a Charlotte player drove into the lane unimpeded.
"In the second half, I think in the late third quarter or maybe early fourth quarter, there was a play that somebody drove all the way right, and everybody on the bench was up, we were up 45 points, and we were upset. Like, that's not what we do," Giannis narrated.
"That means, as a team, we're building those good habits. We got to make everything tough. It doesn't matter who we are playing, they got to get tough buckets against us."
