Forbes fitting in nicely to new role with Bucks

Welcome to the 2020-21 edition of the Bucks Weekly Spotlight. Each Thursday, we’ll track the progress of the players who are trying to help Milwaukee make a championship run and give updates on other players from the previous week.

This is the 5th edition of the 2020-21 Bucks Weekly Spotlight.

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Guard Bryn Forbes

It’s been a different role than what he’s been used to the past couple of years, but Forbes is fitting in just fine with Milwaukee.

A starter the past two years for San Antonio, where he averaged 26.7 minutes in that span, Forbes has exclusively come off the bench for Milwaukee in its 21 games.

Acting as head coach Mike Budenholzer’s “designated shooter,” a role filled by Kyle Korver last season, Forbes is hitting 45.0% of his 3-point attempts, which is a career-best rate.

Forbes is coming off his best game of the year, tallying a season-high 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting including 4-of-7 on 3-point attempts. In Milwaukee’s previous game, Forbes had 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-6 from deep).

In four games last week, Forbes hit 55.0% of his 3-point attempts and averaged five shots from beyond the arc per game, above his average of 3.8 per game on the season.

On the season, Forbes is averaging only 8.4 points over 16.4 minutes. But his per-36 scoring rate is 18.4 points, which would be a career high. He had a 16.1 per 36 last season, which was his best rate. He’s also taking 8.3 3-point attempts per 36 minutes, just off his career-high rate of 8.7 per 36 in 2019-20.

One reason Forbes is doing so well is Milwaukee’s inside presence, which opens things up on the outside. Of his 36 3-point makes, 97.2% of them are assisted. On the Bucks, only Bobby Portis (23 made 3s), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (2) and Torrey Craig (2), all at 100% have a higher assist on makes rate.

Get used to it. Forbes is getting in the groove now and he has a player option for 2021-22.

BUCKSHOTS

— This week in Giannis: The Greek Freak had a triple-double (21 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) in just three quarters against Indiana on Wednesday. In four games he averaged 27.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists while cutting his turnovers down to 3.0 per game and upping his free-throw shooting to 69.4%. He was one assists shy of a triple-double (34 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists) at Charlotte on Jan. 30.

— Jrue Holiday, who is all of 6-foot-3, averaged 7.0 rebounds per game last week, including a season-high nine at New Orleans on Jan. 29. He’s averaging 5.0 boards per game, which ties his career-best mark. Holiday also averaged 19.0 points in four games and made 44.0% of his 3-point attempts.

— Bobby Portis made 65.7% of his shots, including an insane 72.7% of his 3 attempts. Portis has made 23-of-46 of his 3-point shots this season, the 50.0% rate tying him for third in the NBA.

— If you missed it, rookies Sam Merrill and Jordan Nwora as well as Mamadi Diakite, who is on a two-way contract, were assigned to the G League by the Bucks. Since the Wisconsin Herd opted out of the G League, which is operating in a bubble, the players were found homes on different teams.