The Milwaukee Bucks, led by their new head coach Adrian Griffin, are on a quest to redefine their defensive style. Griffin's vision revolves around an aggressive approach, emphasizing relentless ball pressure, creating chaos through deflections, and forcing turnovers. After just two preseason games, their commitment to deflections is starting to shape their emerging defensive identity.

Now, don't get this wrong, the Bucks have been a force on defense in the NBA over the last five years. However, they've executed it differently. Under the previous head coach, Mike Budenholzer, their approach was more passive. The Bucks employed a tactic where their elite shot-blockers guarded the paint, daring opponents to challenge them inside. Meanwhile, their guards often found themselves isolated on the perimeter, tasked with playing the role of a one-man wrecking crew, with minimal help from their teammates.

This strategy certainly had its merits, leading to numerous regular-season victories and an NBA Championship. But its predictability and limitations eventually contributed to a changing of the guard.

During the Budenholzer era, deflections weren't a high priority for the Bucks. In fact, they ranked 27th in deflections per game during the 2022-23 season, averaging just 12.1. They hadn't cracked the top 10 in this category in recent years, with their best showing being 10th in both 2021-22 and 2020-21. If deflections occurred, it was primarily thanks to the exceptional skills of Jrue Holiday, who led the team in this department during his three seasons in Milwaukee.

Under Griffin's guidance, the Bucks are now urging their players to occupy passing lanes and clog the gaps, making life excruciatingly difficult for the opposing offense, even for the most fundamental passes. And it's already showing signs of success.

In their preseason opener against the Chicago Bulls, the Bucks notched an impressive 23 deflections. They followed that up with 17 more in Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. To put it into context, the leader in deflections per game last season was unsurprisingly the Toronto Raptors, where Griffin served as the lead assistant coach, with an average of 17.9 deflections per game.

Sure, it's preseason, and factors like players finding their rhythm in exhibition games and the level of competition on the floor need to be considered. Nonetheless, it's a promising development that aligns perfectly with Griffin's preseason and training camp emphasis on an entirely new defensive philosophy.

In the video clip, we get a closer look at how deflections can wreak havoc. Dribble penetration allows the Grizzlies to reach the elbow area without much resistance. This prompts two Bucks' defenders to collapse towards the middle of the court in an attempt to challenge the drive. Just when it seems like a skip pass to the corner is in the cards, enter MarJon Beauchamp, whose impressive 7-foot wingspan comes into play as he disrupts the pass. Beauchamp tips the ball to Andre Jackson Jr., who finishes the play with an emphatic one-handed slam on the other end.

Through the first two preseason games, Beauchamp has tallied an impressive six deflections, placing him in the upper echelon of the Bucks' deflection leaderboard alongside Malik Beasley, Jackson Jr., and Lindell Wigginton. Notably, Beasley's performance stands out, especially considering Griffin seems to have his eye on him for the fifth starting spot and the role of primary wing defender.

Beasley, who hasn't been particularly known for his defensive prowess, is off to a solid start this preseason. Following a somewhat lackadaisical breakaway finish during the first preseason game that garnered him some friendly ribbing from his teammates, he found the opportunity to redeem himself in the game against the Grizzlies.

Desmond Bane fired a crosscourt pass to Jaren Jackson Jr., and Beasley quickly slid over to the nail area to deter any potential drive. This defensive move prompted Jackson Jr. to try flipping the ball back to Bane for a potential open shot. But Beasley, showing remarkable anticipation, was one step ahead. He was right in the passing lane, intercepting the ball and then streaking down the court for an authoritative one-handed slam. Afterward, he couldn't help but cast a glance at his own bench, as if to let them know that their critiques had not fallen on deaf ears.

It's important to remember that two preseason games don't establish a definitive trend. We've seen our fair share of quirky happenings over the years, especially during the preseason. Nevertheless, it's a promising start that aligns with Griffin's defensive philosophy.

The Bucks have three more preseason contests ahead, including their upcoming game against the Los Angeles Lakers this Sunday. As they continue to shape their defensive identity in this new era, it will be interesting to monitor the progression of deflections and the overall defensive strategy.