It’s difficult to figure out exactly what that all means, but DiVincenzo puts up positive numbers almost no matter who he’s on the court with.Note: some of the possessions overlap so it doesn’t cleanly add up to his total possessions on the season. But DiVincenzo counts as an under-the-radar addition. The Bucks have two cracks at the apple here. He doesn’t light up the box score in traditional ways such as racking up a bunch of points, assists or rebounds. Except nobody told DiVincenzo who winds up slithering his way in between Brogdon and Turner and comes away with the basketball.His stellar off-ball defense ensures no pass is safe when he’s on the court. As it stands, he’s a complementary player on offense—possessing all the intangibles and hustle to his game one could want. Instead, his impact runs deeper than most casual fans realize.When DiVincenzo is on the floor, the Bucks outscore their opponents by 13.9 points per 100 non-garbage time possessions according to Cleaning the Glass—higher than their league-leading 11.2 differential on the season, and third-highest among regulars (not including the newly acquired Marvin Williams).To be fair, the efficiency differential can be noisy because it can be largely based off who that player shares the floor with. Hello and fuck Mike Dunleavy Jr, I am just wondering what y'all think Donte is capable of next season?
The 23-year-old is unlikely to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award over the likes of DiVincenzo may yet finding himself picking up some votes for that award when ballots are revealed at the end of the season, possibly setting the table for what could be even greater progress down the road.Offering a clear sense of his standing in that race, and his growing reputation in NBA circles, DiVincenzo was Outlining just how significant the leap DiVincenzo has taken from year one to year two is, Thorpe noted:“He was one of the worst rookies in the league last year.
When his man is honing in on the number of Bucks’ offensive weapons, he exploits that neglect and quickly cuts toward the cup.With Lopez taking his man off the bounce like a glacier forming in the north pole, DiVincenzo’s defender gets caught watching the ball to see what will happen next. He works his tail off every possession and is even a good rebounder for his position—his 14.9 percent defensive rebounding percentage ranks in the 98th percentile among combo guards.In the box score, the Bucks may have lost talent when Brogdon was traded to the Indiana Pacers. He steals the ball on 2.4 percent of defensive possessions he’s on the court according to Cleaning the Glass—He does most of his damage off the ball where he’s forever lurking in the shadows.After briefly losing his assignment near the top of the key, DiVincenzo creeps up toward the elbow to ensure he’s within a recovery distance away from his man. As Rajon Rondo throws a casual one-handed lob toward the rim, DiVincenzo slithers his way in between one of the NBA’s best lob finishers and the rim, poking the ball away before Davis can get his mitts on it.It’s all the little things he does that makes him such a great “addition” to the Bucks this postseason. Posted by. Early on, he recognizes Danny Green is now setting a back screen for Davis—something that could become an issue for his teammates.With Davis barreling down the lane untouched and a trio of Bucks’ defenders occupied with other tasks, DiVincenzo begins sneaking toward the paint. He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats. He does this for a couple of reason: First, he understands his man is a 27.7 percent three-point shooter and not a threat from the outside, and, secondly, he’s preparing to help his teammates in a one-on-two situation.When Baynes makes a lazy bounce pass that doesn’t get to it’s intended target in a timely fashion, DiVincenzo pounces like a King cobra and takes the ball coast-to-coast for the and-one finish.He hangs his hat on this team defense; anticipating and understanding his role in the grand scheme.As the play begins, he’s matched up with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a 39.4 percent three-point shooter this season, in the corner.