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[Saba Sports News] Jeff Teague, who played as the backup point guard during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 championship run, has unique insights into what the current 1-4 Bucks need to adjust.
On the “Club 520” podcast, Teague and his co-hosts discussed the main challenge facing the team: figuring out how Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can effectively play together.
Despite both players averaging over 28 points per game, Milwaukee ranks only 17th in offensive rating and averages 16 turnovers per game against 22.3 assists.
Teague noted that when Mike Budenholzer coached, ball movement was key, and Giannis would often tally eight assists per game. Currently, Milwaukee sits at 27th in assists per game, with Antetokounmpo and Lillard combining for just 12 assists, a dip for both. Apart from them, only Taurean Prince has more than two assists per game among teammates.
The issue, Teague argued, is that both stars prefer initiating the offense. Lillard’s ball-dominant style in Portland produced great results but lacked experience playing with a big offensive threat post-LaMarcus Aldridge’s departure in 2015. For the Bucks to improve on their 24th-ranked offense, both stars must learn to share playmaking responsibilities.
Teague pointed out that the ideal fit for Giannis would be a flexible point guard capable of initiating plays and running screen-and-rolls like a big man—essentially, someone like Jrue Holiday, whom Milwaukee traded to acquire Lillard.
“Jrue can play any position,” Teague said. “He was like a Swiss Army knife at point guard. He’d set screens, roll into gaps, and even play under the basket for rebounds.”
Teague’s insights come from firsthand experience during Milwaukee’s most successful season. This advice may have been helpful before the trade that now appears increasingly questionable.