Matt Velazquez

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

At the quarter point of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks' starting unit has been special. The group of Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez ranks third among NBA five-man lineups in net rating (plus-9.3) among groups that have played at least 150 minutes together.

Individually, though, one player from that group has caught more flak from Milwaukee's fan base than the rest. It's not Antetokounmpo, the MVP front-runner, or Middleton, the team's trusty second option who is in the midst of a season that could land him in the All-Star Game. It's also not Bledsoe, who playing the best he has in a Bucks uniform – especially in the fourth quarter – or Lopez, the shiniest of the team's new toys as a 7-foot three-point bomber who provides spacing for everyone else to work.

For a decent chunk of the season, it's been Brogdon whose play has rankled segments of the fan base. That's despite him putting up some of the best numbers of his career with 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.4% on three-pointers – a percentage buoyed by his 6-for-6 showing in Wednesday's win over the Chicago Bulls, a night when no one outside of Chicago was complaining about Brogdon.

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"His decision-making, his big shots, just the way he played ... he gave us a steadiness and a toughness that was much-needed tonight," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Wednesday night.

So what are the knocks?

At times this season, the ball has seemed to stick with Brogdon instead of continuing to flow within the offense. That's not so bad if he can turn those types of possessions into points for himself or others, but often that's not what happens.

Brogdon ranks second on the team in touches per game behind Antetokounmpo. He is also in the top three of rotation players in seconds per touch and dribbles per touch, unsurprisingly trailing Bledsoe in those categories. Those ranks alone are not unreasonable for a combo guard who often runs the point. The problems come when he pounds the ball too much, something for which Budenholzer's system isn't geared.

"When (Brogdon) makes quick decisions and he’s in attack mode, I think it helps," Budenholzer said. "I think the whole group, the less we hold it, the more quick decisions – including Malcolm – we make, the better we’re going to be.”

On about one of every six of his shooting possessions (16.6%), Brogdon will dribble seven or more times according to NBA player tracking data. On those possessions, he is shooting just 28.2%, mostly on two-point shots. Those numbers correlate to shooting possessions when Brogdon holds the ball for six-plus seconds after first touching it (16.2% frequency) when he is shooting just 26.3%.

Those numbers are only a fraction of what Brogdon does, but they're not serving either him or the Bucks well. When he makes a quick decision to drive the lane on a couple dribbles, he's shooting over 50% on two-point shots and offering the Bucks a dynamic threat, especially as someone on the secondary side who can attack after the ball has swung to him.

His three-point shooting has been even better on quick-trigger shots, falling at a 55.7% rate when he doesn't dribble and 55.4% when he shoots within two seconds of getting the ball – all of which was evident Wednesday against the Bulls. Another play of critical importance against the Bulls was his decision – made withing two seconds of getting the ball – to pump fake his defender in the air before kicking to Middleton for the winning three-pointer.

Clearly, quickly figuring out whether to drive, shoot or pass upon receiving the ball has been and will continue to be a key for Brogdon this season.

“Just being aggressive where I can," Brogdon said after Wednesday's win. "It’s different every night for me. Some nights I’m going to drive the whole night, some nights it’s going to be a mixture, some nights like tonight I’m going to shoot the whole night. It’s just really making mental adjustments based on how your teammates are playing and how the other team’s playing.”

As someone who can fall anywhere between being Milwaukee's second or fifth option on a given night, Brogdon has to be able to read the situation. Most of all, he needs to know how to best mesh with Antetokounmpo to maximize their individual and collective efficiency.

Maximizing Antetokounmpo's impact on each game carries a lot of weight. Both Brogdon and Antetokounmpo believe they've learned each other's styles well during two-plus years playing together and have improved in playing off each other.

“Usually whenever I pass the ball I always talk to them," Antetokounmpo said. "Once the ball is in the air and it’s heading toward their direction I’m telling them, ‘Shoot it’ or I’m telling them, ‘Wait, wait,’ or ‘I’m coming.’ When I (say) I’m coming that means I’m coming to set a screen so they can go downhill. … It’s a lot easier for me, it’s a lot easier for them and I think Malcolm is doing a great job playing off me.”

Overall, Brogdon has been a strong contributor and deserved starter for the Bucks throughout their 15-6 start. He hasn't always been perfect, but he has provided valuable contributions inside and out on the offensive end. Wednesday's win represented one of his best nights of the year, especially when it came to capitalizing on quick decisions.

And if there's been a rush to judgment on him this season from the fan base, Brogdon isn't worried about it.

“I don’t pay attention to what people think," he said. "I don’t really care what people think. All that matters is my teammates and my coaches.”

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