Tony Snell fits the Milwaukee Bucks like a glove
By Jeff Siegel
Tony Snell is the perfect role player for this Milwaukee Bucks team. The ball is dominated by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Malcolm Brogdon in Milwaukee, to say nothing of what will happen when Jabari Parker returns from injury. A complementary player in this system needs to be able to hit 3s, play defense, and stay out of the way when Antetokounmpo decides to become Wilt Chamberlain crossed with LeBron James, as he is wont to do.
Snell is shooting the hell out of the ball this season: his 72.8 true shooting percentage is best in the league among players with at least 200 minutes. That’s not a small sample size fluke, either — he had a 60.3 true shooting percentage last year in more than 2300 minutes. There’s no getting around it; he’s been an elite shooter since he joined the Bucks just before the 2016-17 season tipped off. Milwaukee’s management acquired Snell from the Chicago Bulls in October 2016 to fuel their obsession with defenders with a plus wingspan (Snell stands 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan), but even they couldn’t have envisioned the type of offensive threat he’s become. The Bucks locked him up for four years and $46 million at the very beginning of free agency, not wanting their prized role player to get away in free agency.
Snell brings everything to the table that a coach or general manager would want from a guy playing alongside Antetokounmpo. It’s often a challenge for shooters to stay ready when they’re only getting a handful of opportunities each game, but Snell hasn’t had any trouble hitting shots when the ball does come his way. His offensive game is almost entirely encompassed behind the 3-point line, but he’s also shown the ability to put the ball on the floor and possesses a comfortable floater when he does get into the paint:
He’s better dribbling with his stronger right hand when he does make his forays into the lane, but it’s such a small part of his game that developing his left hand must be pretty far down on his coaches’ priorities list. He’s not inept dribbling to his left and has shown the ability to take one dribble and step back for a 3-pointer when his defender closes out too far:
When he doesn’t have the advantage, he’s a good enough passer to not hurt the team when he puts the ball down. He’s moving the ball better this year than last, but his turnover percentage hasn’t jumped as a result. It’s still early in the season, but he looks more comfortable with the ball in his hands than he has so far in his young career.
Defensively, he fits the Bucks’ organizational philosophy perfectly. He’s all arms with that 6-foot-11 wingspan and uses it well in isolation and contesting shooters. Snell can also play Milwaukee’s famous weak-side zone when they overload the strong side and is quick enough to execute their hectic trapping scheme on the perimeter. He does have some trouble getting through screens, but that’s to be expected with a guy his size. He’s got a lot of mass to move around and players with his build don’t often do well when screened.
His actual defensive stats aren’t as promising as the eye test — Milwaukee’s been better on that end without him on the floor the past two years and his block and steal rates leave a lot to be desired. His rebounding is also incredibly poor for a guy with his size and length. His 4.1 total rebounding percentage this season is the lowest of his career and the Bucks were out-rebounded when he was on the floor last year. Still, Snell has the qualities for which coaches look when assessing talent on the defensive end and certainly his insertion into the starting lineup hurts his defensive numbers, since his opponents are stronger than they were when he was playing in Chicago.
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Snell is a lights-out shooter from outside and brings enough defensively to fit the Bucks’ scheme, cementing him as a key part of their core moving forward into the Antetokounmpo era. He fits around Antetokounmpo perfectly as a low-usage, high-efficiency shooter and strong defender who can soak up a ton of minutes and keep up his effort level and efficiency, even with long periods between shots. If he continues shooting this well, perhaps Milwaukee will have to look at carving out a larger role for him, but even with his current responsibilities, he’s been a fantastic addition for the Bucks on both ends.