As the Bucks struggle, why is Giannis Antetokounmpo getting fewer shots?

The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled mightily over the last week and a half, dropping five of their last seven games. In their last three losses, the Bucks have trailed by 25 or more points at some point in the game.

While that might not be all that difficult to imagine, considering Milwaukee is now 18-25 on the season and those three losses came against strong Western Conference opponents, the Bucks have struggled in one unusual way: Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team’s two-time MVP, has not been getting as many shots as he normally does.

Here are his scoring lines, at the end of the last six games:

• Jan. 9: Bucks 105, Los Angeles Lakers 101 — 21 points, 9-of-11 FG
• Jan. 11: Denver Nuggets 108, Bucks 104 — 31 points, 10-of-17 FG
• Jan. 13: Minnesota Timberwolves 139, Bucks 106 — 25 points, 9-of-13 FG
• Jan. 15: San Antonio Spurs 119, Bucks 101 — 21 points, 7-of-12 FG
• Jan. 19: Bucks 112, Atlanta Hawks 110 — 21 points, 7-of-12 FG
• Jan. 21: Oklahoma City Thunder 122, Bucks 102 — 19 points, 8-of-11 FG

Antetokounmpo is currently on a limit of roughly 31 minutes, and the Bucks have gotten blown out in some of those games to limit his minutes even further, but the five games outside of Jan. 11 are the five complete games in which Antetokounmpo has taken the fewest shots this season.

“I’m not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammates out and demand the ball,” Antetokounmpo said when asked how he thought the Bucks could go about getting him more shots. “I’ve never done that in my career, but I feel like I’ve played with teammates that kinda understand the gravity that I can cause for our team and how I can create for my teammates or for myself and how I can help the team be more successful.”

As the 10-time All-Star forward considered the issue further, he developed a couple of theories as to why he believes the Bucks have been unsuccessful in getting him the ball in positions to score.

“But maybe for some reason — I don’t understand,” Antetokounmpo said. “Maybe because we’re young, maybe because we’re not playing well, maybe because guys think it’s their turn, they want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around, but I really don’t get it. I really don’t.

“It’s not like I’m not trying to be aggressive. I’m really trying to be aggressive. At the end of the day, I have coaches, people that talk to me, they told me there’s this thing that’s called the white swan and the black swan. You gotta be the black swan and be more aggressive and demand the ball. Again, it’s something I’ve never done in my whole career, so maybe I gotta do it more.”

The first play of Wednesday’s game against the Thunder was a strong example of the issue at hand for the Bucks.

As the Bucks rolled Antetokounmpo into the post, Lu Dort fought to get to the front side and take away the entry pass. Antetokounmpo flashed to the open space multiple times, but his teammates were never able to get him the ball, and ultimately, Kyle Kuzma attempted a contested above-the-break 3 at the end of the shot clock.

“Just get him on the elbow more and that’s what we were trying to do,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said when asked how the Bucks can get better at entering the ball to Antetokounmpo. “The first play of the game, they fronted. We worked on the flash and no one moved. So, we have to keep working on that part as well. That should end up either a high-low or corner three every single time with our shooting. It’s just not, so we have to just keep working on it.”

Since Antetokounmpo’s return from a right soleus strain that sidelined him for eight straight games in December, the Bucks have focused on using Antetokounmpo more as a screen setter for young point guards Kevin Porter Jr., who is now sidelined indefinitely with an oblique muscle, and Ryan Rollins, rather than focusing on running everything through Antetokounmpo as a playmaker. That’s something Antetokounmpo critiqued on Jan. 3 following his fourth game back from the injury.

Tracking data further illustrates the Bucks’ strategic shift for Antetokounmpo on the offensive end since his return. Per Second Spectrum data, Milwaukee’s All-NBA forward set 23.3 picks per 100 possessions in the first 13 games he played this season before suffering an adductor strain against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 17. The Bucks scored 1.22 points per chance on those direct screens. In the 12 games he has played since returning from the right soleus strain on Dec. 27 against the Chicago Bulls, that number has increased to 33.4 picks per 100 possessions. The Bucks’ efficiency has also dropped to 1.01 points per direct screen chance.

When opposing defenses have been presented with a two-man action in which Antetokounmpo is the screener, they have overwhelmingly chosen to do everything in their power to keep the ball out of Antetokounmpo’s hands and instead encouraged Porter or Rollins to shoot or attempt to finish at the rim.

On top of that, when things have started to go sideways, both young guards have displayed a predilection to attempt to make something happen themselves, which has led to some bad shots.

“We’re not playing hard, not doing the right things,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re not playing to win. Not playing together. Our chemistry’s not there. Guys are being selfish. Guys are trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own. At times, I feel like when we’re down 10, down 15, down 30, we try to make it up in one play. It is not gonna work. We just gotta keep on chipping away, possession by possession.”