BucksNation, Author at BucksNation.com

Bucks Vs Celtics 1st Round Series Preview

The easy opinion going into the Milwaukee Bucks first round matchup with the Boston Al Horfords is that superior talent will win the day, perhaps in as few as five games. This has generated some resistance in national NBA circles with many believing that the Bucks’ inconsistency and often ill-advised defensive aggression will open up what would otherwise be a stagnant Boston offense. The 2-2 season split doesn’t amount to much as only the final meeting had the teams resembling what they will be in this series. We have seen Joe Prunty’s team oscillate between a more conservative defense and the pick & roll-trapping, post-doubling scheme of old. So who knows what to expect in the series? Breaking down the final regular-season meeting and some relevant numbers might help.

April 3rd Matchup, Bucks win 106-102

Coming after about as emotionally draining a loss as you can imagine, it was nice to see the Bucks close this game out even as the Celtics made a run towards the end. Rewatching the game for this preview, a few things stuck out.

The Dreaded DHO Pindowns

The Celtics got a lot of production from dribble hand-off pindowns on the sideline (picture the Giannis to Snell hand-off play the Bucks run only extended closer to the backcourt). The one handing it off was usually a big and gave the ball to either Tatum or Brown for a slightly-above-the-break three or a tight curl into the lane. This relatively simple action gave the Bucks a lot of problems as they too often found themselves picking their poison between an open three and an easy pocket pass to a dunk.

The Celtics–typical of Boston–get the most out of this by setting great screens and angling their runs to leave little room for the defender to get over. What seems effective in mitigating these and other Boston screen actions is switching, hedging the would-be ball handler, and tagging the roll man. Trapping or dropping too far back on the initial action led to a no-win situation.

Giannis, Let Loose (Okay Not Too Loose)

Early turnovers in the April 3rd game seemed to make Antetokounmpo more tentative when driving and resulted in him settling for jumpers. In the first quarter, Boston generated a seemingly endless stream takeaways with strip steals and general sloppiness on the part of the Bucks: this starting success is what allowed them to stay in the game. Giannis made an undue contribution to this in the early going.

He still had a phenomenal game with 29 points on 50% shooting but his indecisiveness led to many empty possessions. With Giannis operating at playoff intensity, look for him to get in the lane and to the line more often, while being more aware of the strong-side help.

Switch Heavily, Help Lightly

It might take unlearning years of defensive instruction but the Bucks best defensive option is to switch liberally on the perimeter. Bledsoe and Brogdon can capably defend much bigger opponents and Giannis has been ridiculously effective against Boston’s wing threats. Additionally, it would be a shame to waste the Bucks perimeter defensive talent at the lead guard on what will be a sub-par Celtics point guard rotation. If Boston can best Milwaukee with isolation post-ups throughout the series then you’ll simply have to tip your hat to their making hay with one of basketball’s worst shots.

Bucks Vs Celtics 1st Round Series Preview

The Bucks have the talent edge by a mile in this series, but even an average team that’s well-coached can exploit mistakes the Bucks often make defensively. Minimizing these errors will be the difference.

By: Daniel Gaenslen

Bucks Finish 7th In East, Lose To 76ers 130-95

The Heat won, the Wizards lost and with the Bucks loss they secure the 7th seed in the east. This means the Bucks matchup first round vs 2nd seeded Boston Celtics who enter the playoffs without Kyrie Irving. That does not mean that the Bucks or #BucksNation should think that this is going to be an east series. Boston still has a great young team to go along with who many believe is best coach in the NBA, Brad Stevens.

The Bucks went into Philadelphia to finish off the regular season and got ran over by a red hot 76ers team. The Sixers have now won 16 games in a row and finish the season with the second best record in the NBA since Christmas. Philadelphia draws the Miami Heat in the first round and looks to stay hot and prove to the world that there serious.

Statistically the Bucks really besides from Jabari Parkers 25 points in 24 mins have nothing worth noting. The game was pretty much over before the 1st quarter was and most Bucks core players seen limited mins as you can see in the box score below.

Bucks Finish 7th In East

Milwaukee faces a short handed Boston Celtics team in the first round and if there able to take them down in the best of 7 series then they would face the winner of the Heat and Sixers matchup.

Milwaukee Bucks Defeat Orlando Magic 102-86

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Magic and moved up to the sixth seed in the awaited return of Sophomore player Malcolm Brogdon. Again, star player Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play with a sore ankle. This win was the last of the 1,204 games played in the BMOHBC. Like many of you know the Bucks will be moving to the Wisconsin ESC next year.

To begin the first quarter the Bucks brought out a good amount of energy and looked better than the Magic even though the game remained tied at times. Luckily, the problem was not making shots but defense in the paint. With 4 minutes left in the first quarter, Malcolm Brogdon returned for the first time since February 1st.

Before the game, Brogdon said, “Injured or not I’m blessed, that’s what injuries do they make you put things in perspective.”

Teammate John Henson stated “He’s one of our best players, our fourth leading scorer, it’s always good to have him back”

Shabazz Muhammad had two quick and-ones late in the first quarter and finished the quarter with nine points, most on the team. Three minutes into the second quarter the Magic had cut down the lead to two on their way to an 8-0 run. The Bucks struggled to make shots and were 0-9 to start the second quarter. By halfway, through the second quarter, the Bucks remained scoreless and were down by two until a lob layup and a driving reverse layup, both by Middleton, gave the Bucks the lead again. With less than two minutes remaining in the half cold shooting Tony Snell made a three after missing his last five shots in the game. Then Bledsoe jumped ahead of a pass and took it to the hoop to give the Bucks a five-point lead. With a last-second jumper by Khris Middleton gave the Bucks a three-point lead as Khris lead the team with 11 points. Returnee Malcolm Brogdon had amassed two points in 14 minutes, nearing his restriction for the game.

By halfway through the third quarter, the cold shooting killed the Bucks as they were down by five to a tanking Magic team. After a few defensive stops, the game was a one-point game with four minutes left to play in the quarter. With under two minutes left a Bledsoe three put the Bucks up two and Shabazz took a charge to give the Bucks another possession. On the following drive, Shabazz flew through the air for an athletic layup putting the Bucks up by four. After a nostalgic Brandon Jennings three and a full court pass that somehow made it to Shabazz, the Bucks ended the third quarter up by seven. Shabazz had 17 points at that point leading the Bucks to a 20-6 run.

In the fourth quarter, the Bucks defense was stellar and ball movement on the fastbreaks led to chances at buckets or foul shots. After missed shots and fastbreak scores the Bucks were up by 14 points. This stemmed from an and-one layup by a red-hot Shabazz Muhammad who had 22 points at that point in the game. Halfway through the fourth, the Bucks found out the Heat had lost to the Thunder which would give the Bucks the sixth seed if they ended up winning the game. With an 11 point lead at that time at that time, all the Bucks needed to do is to hang on to a lead. Unsurprisingly, the players knew this was the last game at this building and did not want to end on a loss. With that in there head they grabbed a 14 point lead and rode the momentum wave for an easy win. With an 18 point lead Bucks rookie D.J Wilson checked into the game and showed potential with a quick steal and dish to Brandon Jennings.

By: Weston Olds

Milwaukee Bucks Defeat Orlando Magic 102-86

Khris Middleton Named to 2018-20 USA Men’s National Basketball Team Roster

After a breakout year that saw him become the second man behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris will go to Las Vegas to try out for the National Men’s Team. Among those invited to the camp with him are Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and James Harden. Coaching those who get selected to the team will be Gregg Popovich, who may pass down a few tips to Khris. This selection comes as a shocker to NBA fans but not most of Bucks fans as many called him underappreciated and underrated for how he scores the ball.

This season was Khris’s first full season since the terrible hip injury he suffered in October of 2016. Khris mainly relies on a silky smooth fadeaway or stepback midrange jumper. While this type of scoring may limit him when he has an off night he finds other ways to score, this can be seen by looking at his PPG (Points Per Game) this season. He averages 20.4 points a game in 80 games this year. His point total is the highest of his career so far and he has played the most games in a year since 2013. That 2013 season was his first on the Bucks after being traded from the Pistons.

Khris Middleton Named to 2018-20 USA Men’s National Basketball Team Roster

In conclusion, this type of breakout season was much expected by Bucks fans and the honor of being named to the roster was very much motivation to Middleton. After months of rehab and hard work, Middleton was thankful for the honor saying this when asked about it.

“It’s an honor to be apart of that pool selection, to be invited to the Minicamp, and then also have a chance to represent the country in the Olympics.”

If selected the players would also compete in the 2019 World Cup. Because of qualifying games being played during the regular season the newly renamed NBA G-League has sent players to play for the team. For now, the USA is 4-0 in qualifying and well on their way to having a spot in the World Cup. If selected he will be apart of a 12 man team that will play in the 2020 Olympics.

By: Weston Olds

Milwaukee Bucks Defeat New York Knicks 115-102 without Greek Freak

The Milwaukee Bucks soundly defeated the Knicks in a game that was much closer than it should have been for three quarters. Then in the fourth quarter, the Bucks stepped it up and went on a run to win the game. This game was very good considering the Bucks were without star player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Before the game had started we knew the game would not be filled with athletic dunks and unthinkable plays after Giannis Antetokounmpo was announced to be Out for the game with a sore ankle. Malcolm Brogdon was thought to make a return but before the game that was found to be false as Malcolm was ruled out. Other players out included Matthew Dellavedova (Right Ankle Sprain), Sterling Brown (Personal), and Shabazz Muhammad (Right Ankle Sprain).

Early in the first quarter Tony Snell collided with John Henson and immediately went down in pain. Luckily, veteran Jason Terry came in and took his 3 and D spot in the lineup. Immediately, Terry gave the Bucks a light in the dark, splashing two threes, and helping the Bucks go on a 12-4 run. Late in the first quarter, Snell returned to the bench and it was announced he would try to return to the game at some time. At the end of the quarter, John Henson led the team with eight points mostly off the hook shot Bucks fans know him for.

In the second quarter, Tony Snell returned but flashes of mental mistakes from the Nets game showed again and by the final minutes of the quarter the Bucks were down by 5 points. The Bucks looked gassed and tired while not displaying much effort but that changed when the Bucks regained the lead. In contrast, careless turnovers gave the Knicks a two-point lead to end the half. Again John Henson leads the crowd with 15 points and 8 rebounds. It was obvious at the half that the Bucks would need more help from their stars to win the game.

In the third quarter, the Bucks looked lost on defense and a lack of effort showed at many times. A flash was shown when the Bucks blocked a shot three times on a fastbreak, but they still looked like they were not putting much into the game. Jason Terry looked energized and had nine points and a steal that turned into a fastbreak dunk for Tony Snell. Energy and shooting began to heat up with a few minutes left in the third and the Bucks turned a deficit into a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Luke Kornet hit two long threes early in the fourth quarter and in the blink of an eye, the game was tied. Unsurprisingly, Jarrett Jack had other plans splashing a three that put the Bucks down one. Jack had been a problem all game and recorded a season-high to lead the Knicks. After a Bledsoe steal and kick to Snell the Bucks were up by four. That would turn into six as Bledsoe hit two free throws with four minutes left in the game.

With a little less than two minutes left in the game, the Bucks had a 12 point lead on a 15-2 run. By the end of the game, all starters were in double figures and the KE of KEG had 44 points combined. This win gives the Bucks full game advantage over Wizards in the 7th seed.

Milwaukee Bucks Defeat New York Knicks 115-102 without Greek Freak

Bucks Lose to Nets 119-111, Giannis Reaches 2,000 Points

Milwaukee Bucks lose to Brooklyn Nets 119-111, Giannis has a quiet night while the Bucks get burnt by three pointers. Khris Middleton makes up for Giannis with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Giannis ended the night with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. With this loss the Bucks are in the 8 seed.

From early in the game the Nets hung around in the game with vivid three point shooting and a plethora of defense on the other end of the court. In the first quarter the Bucks had a rough time making basic putbacks and having mental mistakes on defense. Meanwhile the Nets forgot had a very good night shooting which is uncharestic of their rebuilding team. Because of this the Bucks were down by nine points at times in the second quarter. At half D’angelo Russell was punishing the Bucks with 18 points as the Nets led by 7.

After a miserable start to the third quarter the Bucks began a run down 11 points and with defense and offense both clicking they regained all momentum and took a 4 point lead with a few minutes left in the quarter. Unsurprisingly, the Nets made their way back and ended the quarter with a two point lead while on a 12-6 run. After a back and forth fourth quarter that saw neither team hold a lead until an electric and-one dunk by Jabari Parker put the Bucks up by three points. That was until the Nets made two threes late in the shot clock and grew a six point lead with a minute remaining. Down nine with 15 seconds left almost all hope was lost and the lead was too much for the foul game to work.

Giannis Reaches 2,000 Points

Seeing the Bucks have clinched a playoff spot the fight is now who to play in the playoffs. Preferably, the Bucks would like to play a hobbled Boston team rather than a tough Toronto team. Every win is vital from this point forward and the loss tonight helps push the Bucks towards the eight seed. Ideally the Bucks would like a 7-2 seed matchup against the Celtics being the only team the Bucks did not lose the season series to. In addition, Kyrie Irving was found to be out for the rest of the season/playoffs after surgery removing a wire from his injured knee. This loss makes winning out vital to getting a good matchup in the playoffs.

By: Weston Olds

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Defensive Menace

As is typical during the terminal stage of the regular season, media figures are beginning to turn attention to awards ballots; at least for those awards and All-NBA designations that are somewhat still in flux. Defensive Player of the Year and the All-Defensive teams are drawing particular interest. Consensus seems to be that—while still elite—Draymond Green’s play on that end has waned significantly enough as to not warrant top-ballot consideration. Rudy Gobert seems like a lock for many, unless you’re queasy about handing it to a guy who will end up with 56 games played. Kevin Durant and Paul George have gotten their share of hype throughout the year for shot blocking and disruption on the wing, respectively.

Lost in all the talk (except for Zach Lowe bless his heart) is Milwaukee Bucks Swiss-Army defender Giannis Antetokounmpo. Three national articles during this past season have promoted George’s candidacy while Durant has enjoyed a seemingly season-long parade of adulation in the press: Antetokounmpo has zero mentions.

Looking at the numbers it’s hard to see why. For all of George’s active wing defense, opponents actually shoot 2.2% better when he’s guarding them while Antetokounmpo’s matchups shoot 4.6% worse. Durant garnered early attention for his rim protection, while over the course of the season Antetokounmpo has proven more impactful. When Durant defends a shot within 6 feet of the hoop, opponents shoot 6.1% worse as opposed to 7.2% worse when Antetokounmpo contests. Giannis also defends a larger share of shots at the rim, 41% as compared to 35% for Durant.

Taking a broader view of their impact as measured by Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) the divide becomes even starker. When Durant is off the court, the Warriors defense is 6.2 points better while during George’s absence the Thunder defense remains roughly the same. Antetokounmpo taking a rest brings disastrous results for Milwaukee. The Bucks are 8.7 points worse on defense with him on the bench, by far the largest impact on the team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Defensive Menace

But what about compared to the reigning DPOY? Despite league-wide recognition of a slight dip in effort, Kevin Pelton of ESPN selects Draymond Green as his First Team All-Defense Power Forward. Pelton says Giannis has “the most defensive upside…when fully engaged” while he excuses Green whose “intensity hasn’t been the same” when awarding him First Team honors, citing his being 28th in deflections per-36 and “a plus rim protector for the position”. (Notable names ahead of Green in the deflections per-36 category are Russell Westbrook and Corey Brewer; two players not generally lauded for defense.)

Antetokounmpo and Green have nearly identical steal percentages and Giannis rates as a better rim protector. Differences in defensive ratings show Giannis as the superior player, with a positive impact more than eight points better than Green’s and a Defensive Player Impact Plus-Minus (DPIPM) much higher than Green’s as well. (DPIPM is a statistic from Nylon Calculus’ Jacob Goldstein which measures +/- accounting for opponent quality and other factors). In the defensive categories of overall shooting, 3pt shooting and shots within 6 feet, Antetokounmpo holds opponents to a lower percentage across the board.

All of this is not to say Antetokounmpo is deserving of the award hands down, but simply of consideration rivaling that of his peers. Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid have been tremendous on the season while each having the additional bump of anchoring a Top-5 defense. Milwaukee’s defensive struggles make overlooking an elite defender on a middling team somewhat understandable, but it is encouraging to envision that with a schematic overhaul and defensive team success a DPOY could easily be in Antetokounmpo’s future.

By: Daniel Gaenslen

Bucks Beat Celtics 106-102

In a possible 1st round playoff preview the Bucks handled the Celtics 106-102 last night. Milwaukee was lead by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 29 points and 11 rebounds. Khris Middleton played well scoring 20 points and also assisting on 9 baskets and grabbing 8 rebounds to go along with 3 steals. Eric Bledsoe stayed hot with 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting from the field.

Boston who has been playing without its all star point guard Kyrie Irving was also short his backup Terry Rozier last night as well. Jalen Brown scored 24 points. Also from the Celtics one of the NBA’s top rookies Jason Tatum scored 20 points. But it was not enough to take town the Bucks at home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbC5mnppn_8

Bucks Beat Celtics 106-102

With this win the bucks are still on the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference with only 4 games left to play. The Brooklyn Nets come into Milwaukee to face the Bucks at 7pm on Thursday. This will be the second the last regular season Bucks game ever played at the BMO Bradley Center. The Bucks will move into the new arena next season.

Nuggets Beat Bucks In Overtime 128-125

When the Bucks went into Denver this Sunday Easter night to face the Nuggets it was the last game of a 4 game road trip. The Bucks were coming off wins against The Lakers and Warriors and seeded in 7th currently. Denver finds themselves on the outside looking in on the Western Conference playoff picture.

Last time these 2 teams played it was in Milwaukee and Denver got the best of the Bucks. Tonight the Bucks blew a lead in the 4th and finished out the 4 game west coast road trip 2-2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaPtEbUYjus

The loss again knocks the Bucks back into the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference Playoff picture. If they would have pulled this game out they would have been tied with the Wizards for 6th. If the playoffs started today the Bucks would face the team with the best record in the east, the Toronto Raptors.

The Bucks not only lost tonight but wasted a 35 point perfomence by Jabari parker. Eric Bledsoe stayed hot and added 31 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds before fouling out of the game. Ginnas contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds before also foaling out the game and after he did Denver made the run that took the game away from Milwaukee.

Nuggets Beat Bucks In Overtime 128-125

The Bucks now have 5 games remaining on the regular season schedule. They return home to face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. Its a seven o’clock game that the Bucks need to find a way to win. If not its going to not end up stuck with the Raptors in the first round.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Artwork: The Breakthrough

Giannis Antetokounmpo Artwork – The Breakthrough picture. Created to signify the explosion and breakout of the Greek Freak as one of the best players in the National Basketball Association.

With BucksNation.com covering the walls and having Giannis’s back. You can look at the bottom of the picture as its an example of the foundation. The genesis, the beginning of the process of establishing a solid backbone and preparing the world for whats to come!

The Milwaukee Bucks have marketed the team extremely smart and coined the saying “Own The Future.” As the Bucks prepare to move into the new arena and dominate the Eastern Conference, Fear The Deer!!!