Last round's MVP gave a lesson about not only cleaning up misses, but what to do next.
Stats review: To reset or put back?
Stats
4 Mins read
Olympiacos Piraeus center Nikola Milutinov notched the first 20+20 game in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague since 2007 and just the fourth in league history in the Reds' 89-72 home victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 22. Recording 9 offensive rebounds and scoring 10 points on put-backs in 31:31 minutes of action, the 29-year-old center imposed his will on the game with his efforts on the boards.
It was a signature performance from Milutinov, though perhaps not a surprising one.
Since his EuroLeague debut at age 17 back in 2012, Milutinov has consistently improved as a rebounder through his early 20s and in recent years has ranked high in rebound percentage – the rate of available rebounds a player secures while he is on court. But while the Serbian big man certainly has solidified himself as an elite rebounder, he's also elite at the little things that come with that.
In offensive rebounding, that means knowing what to do with a fresh opportunity. It usually comes down to put-backs – going straight up to try to score again – or resets – recycling the rebound to open teammates.
Milutinov proved his experience in both with his board work against Maccabi. On Olympiacos's second possession, he corralled a missed three-pointer and shot the ensuing put-back a bit too long, but after that he proceeded to make every subsequent offensive rebound pay off. Whether he played volleyball by himself before tipping the ball in, sent a quick hockey assist to a shooter off a long rebound, or took a couple dribbles before handing off to a guard who scored, what Milutinov did after he secured his offensive rebounds had a marked impact on the final margin.
When coaches talk about the little things, what players do once they secure an offensive rebound certainly qualifies. Though there's little to decide if there's an angle to attempt a tip-dunk or no real opportunity to score quickly on long rebounds, what big men decide to do when they do have choices adds up over the course of the season. The table above gives an idea of what those decisions look like for the EuroLeague's best offensive rebounders.
As the table above suggests, despite last week having posted this season's most productive put-back scoring performance, Milutinov looks for an opportunity to reset possessions more than most offensive rebounders. Against Maccabi, his feel for the game and experience was apparent in the choices he made as he played off instincts and never forced the issue.
The contrast in how the EuroLeague's top big men approach their decision-making with offensive boards is most apparent between its tallest players. While Walter Tavares is the most likely to look away from basket when he first secures a rebound and leads the league in resets, Youssoupha Fall is the most likely to try to go right back up to score, shooting 67% on second-chance opportunities and leading the EuroLeague in points off put-backs as a result. That duo operates at the extremes while other big men pick and choose according to the situation.
There's obvious value in big men who do not touch the ball for entire possessions as they set screens and fight for position, claw their way to rebounds, and then make smart plays with the ball. That came to the forefront in Round 22 as Milutinov's 9 offensive rebounds led to 15 points for his team in a crucial – and not the least bit coincidental – 15-point win.