The Miami Heat have what ESPN thinks it takes to beat the Milwaukee Bucks
The Miami Heat have what it takes to “build a wall” for Giannis. They have shown it this season, in spurts.
“Rule 1: Keep Giannis away from the bucket”
That is pretty apparent when you think about it and look at how the man makes his money. Let’s look a bit more at what Goldsberry had to say here.
"Giannis Antetokounmpo comes into the bubble as the most efficient volume scorer in the league. He’s posting an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 58.3% this season, the highest such mark among the NBA’s top 50 scorers. More than almost any other modern superstar, Antetokounmpo dominates with one old-school shot location. His impressive overall efficiency numbers stem from his all-world abilities to attack and finish at the rack. If you can keep him out of the paint, he’s mortal. If you can’t, it’s over. Consider these two stats: This season, Antetokounmpo has attempted 727 shots in the paint and converted 66% of them. Out of 81 NBA players with at least 300 paint shots this season, he’s the fifth-most efficient. He also has attempted 393 non-paint shots. His eFG% on those attempts is just 43.6%. Out of 116 players with at least 300 non-paint shots, he ranks 109th in efficiency. He’s basically Shaquille O’Neal in the paint but Andrew Wiggins outside of it. Shaq won four titles by dominating inside. If Milwaukee wins one this year, it will be because nobody could stifle Antetokounmpo’s interior prowess. But when the Bucks were bounced last year, Toronto did just that."
The Miami Heat can do this and have done it. They didn’t do it so well in their first contest against the Milwaukee Bucks this year, the second game of the season, but they did it stupendously in their second contest.
In the first game against the Bucks this season, one played without Jimmy Butler for the Miami Heat, they weren’t so successful with keeping him away from the rim or out of easy shot territory, as he went 12-15 on such shots for a 57 percent field goal percentage in that game.
While he got to the paint, the Miami Heat were still sort of successful in the area, as they forced him into eight turnovers on his own in that game. So, while the point remains the same, keeping him away from the cup, the ultimate goal here is to stop him from scoring as much or as easily at the rim.
The Miami Heat didn’t do that purely but through auxiliary methods, meaning that even if he got to his spot all the time, he didn’t always have an opportunity to score. You have to agree with Goldsberry and you have to realize the Miami Heat can and have done it.
They have the constant bodies needed to throw at The Freak. You need guys who are quick enough to stay in front of him, but big enough to not be knocked off track by him.
Basically you need Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill, Bam Adebayo, and Kelly Olynyk types to neutralize him. As you know, the Miami Heat house all of those guys, so again, you agree with Goldsberry here but you definitely add in the fact that the Heat can, have, and hopefully will continue to do that.
This was apparent in the second game that the Milwaukee Bucks played against the Miami Heat. The one in which Giannis went a grand total of 6/14 from two-point territory for a 33 percent final field goal percentage. That is a game where keeping him away from the basket was the main thing, as Coach Spo and Pat Riley like to say, and it worked.