Paying big dividends: Brook Lopez is Looking Like One of the NBA’s Most Underrated Pickups of the Off-season
Space and pace. That’s what the modern NBA is all about. For years, the Bucks have struggled to adapt to this style that has taken the league by storm. Sure, a great deal of that was due to the beliefs of our former head coach, but the team also lacked the three-point threats to make the system work. This year, we’re seeing a floor-stretching offensive juggernaut, made possible in no small part by off-season pickup Brook Lopez.
Increased Productivity
It’s no secret that the Bucks have struggled to get any meaningful contributions from the center position over the past few years, but Lopez is already showing that the team won’t have that problem this season. Over the first few games, the big man is averaging 12.4 PPG and shooting a blazing 38.6 percent from three-point land. Granted, he still isn’t a great rebounder (nor has he ever been confused with one), but in the Bucks scheme encourages players to push the ball up court on missed shots, meaning there’s a case to be made for allowing Giannis, Middleton, Bledsoe and Brogdon to run to loose balls and start the break the same way the Thunder do with Russell Westbrook.
ClutchPoints
Evolving the Offense
Did we mention Lopez is knocking down 38.6 percent of his triples? Yes. we did. But that cannot be overstated, especially when he is draining more than two per night.
Lopez’s ability to stretch the floor is something Bucks have been sorely missing in previous seasons, especially with a superstar who isn’t much of a three-point threat. His mere presence allows Giannis more room to operate in the paint and removes a help defender when he chooses to drive. It doesn’t show up in the box score, but providing your best player more room to operate is one of the most valuable contributions a teammate can make.
In addition to spacing the floor, Lopez gives the Bucks something else they’ve been missing: a solid screen-setter. He uses his incredibly large, muscular frame to lay a body on opposing defenders, forcing them fight through the pick, or more likely, get hung up, leading to mismatches and open shooters.
A Fantastic Fit
Lopez wasn’t a highly sought after free agent, but he has found a place in Mike Budenholzer’s system that allows him to maximize his strengths and the early returns have been overwhelmingly positive.
His ability to space the floor and set effective screens has helped the offensive scheme and allowed Giannis to take his game to next level, establishing himself as a serious contender to win MVP. Not bad for a guy who is playing for the mid-level exception.
The Bucks have just suffered their first loss of the season. Yes the team that started 7-0 is now 7-1 and Bucks fans are feeling their first loss of the year. Kyrie Irving scored 28 points and the Celtics had 6 players in double figures tonight.
@Bucks – Instagram
Milwaukee’s superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 11 rebounds but it was not enough. Brodgon had a solid game scoring 16 points on 6-10 shooting from the field. Eric Bledsoe played out of control and hurt his team tonight. It remained me of the playoff series vs Boston last year. Middleton also had a bad game until the 4th quarter, he was 6-18 from the field and scored 16 points.
The Bucks host the surprise Kings on Sunday in Milwaukee. Sacramento is 6-3 and playing good basketball.
Tonight was a matchup of the only two undefeated teams in the NBA. The only thing was the Greek Freak and The Claw didn’t play. For the Bucks the theme was, No Giannis, No Problem. On a Monday night in Milwaukee the Bucks handled business and ended the night as the only undefeated team in the league.
The Bucks ability to space the floor and shoot from long range is making this an entertaining team to watch. The coach has them playing at a high level and there feeling like a serious threat in the Eastern Conference.
Instagram @Bucks
The Bucks again tied a team record with 19 three’s in a game for the second time in a week. Giannis watched and should be proud to know that theorganization has put a team around him that that can compete and do damage!
I would assert that it is fair to assume that most Bucks fan are Brewers fans
as well. I know I am. As the Brewers were playing a crucial Game 6 in the National
League Championship Series, I couldn’t help but to check in on the Bucks home
opener during the commercials of the Brewers. As I switched back and forth
between the two channels I couldn’t help but realize that the Bucks team is built very
similarly to the Brewers. Look at the similarities. The Bucks were bounced from the
playoffs in the first round last year. The Brewers were one game away from the
playoffs, and likely would have suffered the same fate. Both teams knew they were
very close to the next tier of competition, and both signed multiple free agents the
following offseason.
Cait Covers The Bases
The Bucks signed Ersan Ilyasova, a solid veteran player who started his NBA
career as a Buck. The Brewers signed Lorenzo Cain, a solid veteran player who
began his career as a Brewer. The Bucks added Brook Lopez, a player who put up
great numbers on a bad team, the Nets, and is therefore overlooked. He averaged
18.7 points per game over the last 10 seasons, and has never played on a serious
team with a great system like the Bucks. The Brewers added Christian Yelich, a
player that put up good numbers for a bad team, the Marlins, and was therefore
overlooked. His career batting average is 290, excluding this past year with the
Brewers. Averaging almost 19 points per game in the NBA is very similar to batting
290 in the MLB. Both were very solid contributors but not the cornerstones of their
teams, Lopez being overshadowed by Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Deangelo
Russell, and Yelich being overshadowed by Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna.
OnMilwaukee
In addition to the offseason acquisitions, both teams were not considered
serious contenders. ESPN’s preseason predictions for the 2018 MLB season, ranked
the Brewers tenth, behind the Cubs and Cardinals. They predicted we would have a
record of 85-77 and would likely miss the playoffs. Contrary to experts predictions,
we fended off a late season push byn the Cardinals and chased down the $200
million payroll Cubs, defeating them in an extra Game 163 to win the Central Division.
We proved everybody wrong by finishing 96-67 and taking the NLCS to 7 games. A
similar rating was given to the Bucks during ESPN’s preseason NBA predictions. They
slotted the Bucks as the 9th best team in the league, predicting a 47-35 season and
an early round exit in the playoffs. Not only is this prediction wrong, it’s frankly
insulting. This team added several exciting pieces through free agency and the draft,
but it’s most important acquisition was Mike Budenholzer, the new coach. Coach Bud
is exactly the steady hand we need to guide this team deep into the playoffs. I
strongly believe the Bucks absolutely have what it takes to make it the the Eastern
Conference Finals, the equivalent depth that the Brewers made it to.
Bucks N’ Brewers: Milwaukee Symmetry
by Nguyen61Photography Milwaukee Skyline
No matter what sport we’re competing in, Milwaukee teams will always be
underdogs. We will never have the same spotlights as the Cubs or Bulls, but we have
something far more valuable: a community of fans that are passionate about
Milwaukee sports. We love our Bucks and we love our Brewers. In fact, the Bucks
exciting season starting is the only thing bringing me out of my post NLCS
depression. Ultimately, the only difference I see this year between the Bucks season
and Brewers season is that I believe the Bucks will win the Eastern Conference Final
and make it to the NBA Finals, one step further than the Brewers made it during their
great run. If the Bucks don’t make it, at least I’ll still have the Brewers to pick me up.
-Go Bucks (and Brewers)! By: Brad Bosak
The Milwaukee Bucks came out in Minnesota Red Hot! When you go into a game like this you gotta be careful to not take your opponent lightly, the Bucks did not! At half time the Bucks were up by 25 points at 63-38. Middelton and Brogdon each had 13 points and Ersan had 12 at the half. The Greek Freak only had 5 points in the first half but had 5 assists and 9 rebounds. Its not that his offense was down, the Timberwolves were swarming around Giannis and it opened up things for his teammates. Milwaukee hit 10 three pointers in the first half.
In a game that the Bucks controlled all night and Giannis was held to 15 points on 5-9 shooting I noticed the unselfishness in Antetokounmpo. With 6 mins left in the 4th the Greek Freak cam across the screen and was on the bench, bobbing his head and looking totally calm and happy. The team was up 25 and he was not worries about his stats, but the fact that Bucks were on there way to being 5-0.
13 Bucks scored including 12 Bucks players scoring more then 6 points. Thats balance and sharing the load. John Henson also hit two three point shoots for the second time in a game this season. With Lopez, Ersan and now if Henson can keep this up the floor is really going to open up and the Bucks are going to drive teams crazy!
@Bucks – Facebook
Bucks Beat Timberwolves 125-95
When the game ended the Bucks had won by 30 points and the bucks were tied with The Toronto Raptors that we play on Monday for the best record in the east so far in this young season. Thats assuming they handle business on Saturday night at the Fiserv Forum vs the Orlando Magic.
As the NBA season gets underway, avid basketball fans are already looking ahead to the playoffs next spring. While another Golden State championship appears to be the most likely outcome, the path to the finals is full of new twists and turns this year, particularly in the East. The Eastern Conference got weaker this past offseason; no matter how you slice it, LeBron James’ move West was a dramatic power shift. For the first time in nearly a decade, the road to the Finals in the East no longer runs through a LeBron-led Cleveland or Miami squad. The door is wide open for new challengers, including a Bucks team that is both improved and hungry after last year’s playoff hopes ended in the first round. They came out on the losing end of a 7-game dogfight against the Boston Celtics, who went on to eliminate Philadelphia in 5 games before eventually losing to LeBron’s Cavaliers in the Conference Finals.
In the early stages of the 2018-19 season, the Bucks project as a 3 or 4 seed in the East, most likely behind Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto. If the Bucks and Celtics are to meet again in the playoffs next spring, the matchup will likely take place in the conference semi-finals, if not later. Expect both higher stakes and a revival of any bad blood left over from last year’s series. Today we’re diving in to look at how both teams would fare in a 2019 rematch based on offseason personnel changes and what we’ve seen so far in this young NBA season.
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
For Boston, the biggest personnel changes are not to the roster, but simply involve getting star players Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward healthy and integrated into the offense. This was a deep team last year whose depth is now bolstered by regaining a starting point guard and wing, both of whom can create shots for themselves and others. Their absence during last season’s playoffs accelerated the growth process for the Celtics’ talented young core. Rookie Jayson Tatum emerged as a dependable option and clutch scorer. In short, Boston was an excellent team last year that finished second in the East and made a deep playoff run, even in the absence of key players. With a healthy roster, they project to be even better this year, although some chemistry issues have shown in the early part of the season. Hayward is still finding his shot, and needs more time on the court with the starters after missing last season entirely. Presumably these issues will work themselves out during the regular season, and the Celtics still have great depth. The only major concern in that regard would be center Al Horford, the team’s oldest starter at 32, whose defense, passing skills and leadership on the court anchor this Celtics team. No bench player for Boston can do all the things Horford does. Still, count on coach Brad Stevens to get the most out of his players.
For a Bucks team that pushed the Celtics to 7 games last April, the roster overhaul this offseason was a bit more involved. The most notable loss was Jabari Parker, who signed with the Chicago Bulls, leaving questions about who might fill the apparent scoring void left in his absence. Enter new head coach Mike Budenholzer, NBA Coach of the Year in 2014-15, who immediately signed familiar system players Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova to provide shooting and help space the floor, creating more room for MVP-superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to devastate opposing defenders with his one-of-a-kind skillset. Forward Khris Middleton returns this season in the role of number 2 scorer, along with all other key contributors from last year’s squad. Rookie Donte DiVincenzo has shown promise, with hustle and what looks like a solid 3-point shot. If he can regularly bring anywhere near the level of playmaking he demonstrated in last year’s NCAA championship game, he has the potential to be an impact player for coach Bud, able to spell starters while delivering a scoring spark off the bench. Perhaps most importantly, the Bucks’ coaching change brings a new defensive philosophy that abandons previous head coach Jason Kidd’s gamble-heavy schemes, which frequently led to easy opportunities for opposing offenses. Last season’s Bucks finished 9th overall in offensive rating but only 19th defensively. While this season’s team is playing at a faster pace and scoring more, becoming even an average group on defense would be a marked improvement over last year.
Fox Sports
If we assume that both teams make it into the playoffs as expected, with rosters at or near full health, a potential matchup this season projects for even more fireworks than last year. Boston’s best self: a healthy Kyrie slashing the lane with ridiculous under-the-rim finishes, surrounded by versatile guards and wings, nearly all of whom can create for themselves, anchored by a sound defensive system and excellent coaching. They are a talented team that plays hard for a good coach, with few obvious weaknesses. On the other side is a Bucks team that will forge a new identity offensively and defensively this season. They will stay home on defense, and possess the height and length necessary to disrupt opposing teams. On offense, by moving toward a more open, 3-point shooting system, the court becomes a playground for the Greek Freak, who has yet to show us how high his ceiling goes.
Isolation basketball for league-dominating players like Giannis, James Harden, LeBron, etc. becomes a vitally powerful tool in playoff matchups. Just ask last season’s Houston Rockets, who used it to slow down the Golden State Warriors before Chris Paul’s hamstring injury in game 5 of the Western Conference Finals left them shorthanded. By creating room for Giannis to operate with shooters and playmakers around him, his volume scoring can come within the flow of the offense and allow the Bucks to dictate pace to opposing teams. Furthermore, the Greek Freak’s three-point attempts are way up this season at 4.3 per game, more than doubling last season’s average. If those shots start falling and opponents are forced to respect Giannis as a shooter, even a little, it becomes exceptionally difficult for a single defender to guard him. With space, pace and shooting surrounding a generationally-talented player, this Bucks offense under Mike Budenholzer is primed to explode.
Brew Hoop
Last season’s Bucks were a team no one in the East wanted to meet in the first round, and this season should be even better. Unlike last year, the Bucks should be able to earn home court for the playoffs’ opening series. However, a 2019 playoff clash with Boston would most likely take place in the conference finals or semi-finals, meaning home court could go either way. Boston is struggling to start this season; they are 2-2 and not playing well on either end of the court, and these early losses could come back to haunt them in the playoff seeding next spring. Meanwhile, Milwaukee hosts the Philadelphia 76ers in a possible playoff preview tomorrow night, which should provide a strong early indicator of where this unbeaten Bucks team stands in the Eastern Conference pecking order. Home court proved to be a critical factor in the series between the Bucks and Celtics last April, so both will understand the importance in pushing for every possible win throughout this season.
On paper this matchup seems to favor Boston, which should come into the 2019 playoffs as an improved version of last year’s second-best team in the East. However, once the playoffs started, that squad was tested to near its limit by a Bucks team that may not have played to its full potential under then-coach Jason Kidd. We don’t know these new Bucks quite so well yet, but their ability to score at a rapid tempo and reliance on one of the league’s preeminent talents will keep them competitive in every game. If coach Bud’s track record with the San Antonio Spurs and brilliant work with the Atlanta Hawks is any indication, he’ll find new ways to unleash the Greek Freak all season long. Once the playoffs begin, the game is all about taking things one possession at a time, when supremely gifted players can take over a game. For a Bucks team left ravenous for revenge by last season’s loss, that may be the difference-maker. When the playoffs are seeded months from now, home court may fall to either team, but we can expect both fireworks and a hard-fought battle either way. With improved offensive and defensive scheming, being able to put the ball in the hands of one of the planet’s greatest players is a pivotal advantage. In a rematch, these Bucks will be the more changed and improved team, and a close contest will become even closer. Between having the best player on the court in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the motivation from knowing how close they came last season, expect a fight from these Bucks like you’ve never seen. Bucks in 7!
By Samuel Mattox
*All statistical information current as of 10/23/2018. Statistics taken from basketball-reference.com.
6 Bucks scored in double figures, Giannis had 15 or more rebounds again and the Milwaukee Bucks have stared the season 3-0! With a stat line like the Bucks top 3 players had tonight there going to be hard to beat. Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 31 and grabs 15 boards, including 16 points in the 4th quarter. Khris Middelton scores 30 points on 11-14 from the field shooting, including 7-8 on three pointers. And the Point guard was on his job as Eric Bledsoe had 16 points and 13 assists.
@Bucks – Instagram
After blowing a 19 point lead the Bucks got busy in the 4th to hang on and get past a much improved and well coached David Fizdale team! The New York Knicks did not go down easy and up until the last 3 mins had Bucks fans just hooping we could hang on. But the Bucks hung on and showed some toughness and got the win!
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Taking The Leap: Everyone knows the Greek Freak is out of this world, starting the season with a bang going 25-18-9 and then 26-15-5 but a more interesting question is to gaze a little bit further into the future. I’d like to consider where he could take the most obvious leaps and where we could perhaps see Giannis Antetokounmpo take his game over the course of the season. A good place to start is to look at some advanced metrics predictions where there is a bit of good news, FiveThirtyEight’s CARMELO Model, arguably the most effective publicly available model says he is merely the fourth best player in the league.
I’d love to dig into what all of these juicy numbers mean but for all intents & purposes, it takes your everyday ‘plus-minus’ from the box score, splits it into offensive & defensive possessions and adjusts for level of competition. The special sauce is fancy math but to cut to the chase, it means to expect great things. What’s interesting here is the +2.4 which is a 41% bump in the right direction, reverting more to 2017 Giannis on defence whilst keeping a lot of those improvements he saw on the offensive end during 2018. Even better, it further supports what our eyes told us in the play-offs last year but how he has played in the first few games of this season suggest the offensive end could be even brighter.
The biggest change the Buck’s early going can tell us by just looking at box score can tell us is that he is feeling a lot more comfortable from behind the arc, well above previous rates through the preseason & game 1. In the 2018 Regular Season, only 1 in 10 shots was behind the arc which is notable. It’s well below other high usage, hyper versatile Point Forwards like Kevin Durant or Lebron James who during the same period who took a three nearly 1 in every 4 shots. This year could be the year we see Giannis Antetokounmpo take that jump forward and find his spots around the arc. It’s easy to say the early data is encouraging with him lifting those numbers to nearly 1 in 5 and this is going to make his life an awful lot easier when he does drive into the lane.
Fox6Now
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Taking The Leap
As a player who currently scores efficiently almost exclusively at the rim, where 49% of his shots were attempted last year taking a step forward beyond the arc is critical to that next step. Right now, his opponents are free to just crowd his path to the rim and forcing him to either find the open man or to take a bad shot at the rim, or on the way there. With more attempts beyond the arc, this becomes a very bitter medicine for a defender who is forced to play tight lest Giannis burn him 3 or 4 times a game at 3. This will only give Giannis more & more room to turn the corner and get around his man.
Obviously, taking the jump is essential to entering the promised land where the ‘Perpetual MVP’ conversation that Lebron has seemingly existed in for over a decade. Before we run away with our imagination, I must issue a single caveat that the newly coached team around him is going to play a huge part of whether he is able to take the next step so young, so soon & really achieve the blindingly brilliant promise he is so clearly capable of.
A new era dawned in Milwaukee when Bucks owner Herb Kohl sold the team to the investment team of Marc Lasry and Wes Edens. That was the first step in the long and frustrating process of changing the culture of the stagnant Bucks. We had not won a playoff series since 2001, although we did make first round exits on 03, 04, 06, and 2010. From being stuck in the worst place to be in the NBA: the middle. We were not quite good enough to do anything in the playoffs but not quite bad enough to get a lottery pick. Our Bucks were a team of predictability and mediocrity. However, we have seen a brand new team assembled piece by piece right before our very eyes.
Flickr.com
The new era we have entered into officially began on April 16, 2014, the day Kohl sold to Lasry & Edens. Following the ownership shift came changes to the team’s colors, logo, coach, stadium, and most importantly: culture. This culture change has bred a new spark for the team, a team I’m officially declaring as the New Bucks. The years of satisfaction with middle-of-the-pack finishes have been replaced with a yearly expectation to make at least a good playoff run. Instead of the tried and true red and green we now have a new, vibrant color scheme accompanied by a fresh, sleek logo. The ever-reliable Bradley Center gave way to a new modern marvel of architecture in the Fiserv Forum (or as I encourage people call it: the Four-One-Forum). But flashy colors and Mezzanine overlooks can only do so much. We fired our head coach, general manager, and superstar. Instead of Larry Drew, John Hammond, and Brandon Jennings, the New Bucks boast the names of Budenholzer, Horst, and Antetokounmpo. All these changes have pushed the Bucks from consistently playoff possible to a group that should finish with no less than a 3 seed in the weakened Eastern Conference.
SportTechie
We should be proud of how we have gone about building our team. Rather than flashing a bunch of money in the faces of big time free agents, we cleaned house, rebuilt from the bottom, and went through our years of losing records. But now it is time for us to reap the rewards of our patient work by making a serious run in the playoffs and possibly competing for a championship. We are finally on the cusp. The ugly weed of stagnation and mediocrity was ripped out by the roots and in its place the seeds of competitiveness, passion, and winning were planted. Opposing teams will no longer make the game winning shot over our defenders outstretched fingertips. No, instead our New Bucks read the pass, jump the lane, and force that key turnover to seal the game. Gone are the days of players pursing their lips while high-fiving frustrated teammates after missing a crucial free throw to put the game away. No more dejected fans walking out of the Bradley Center lamenting the teams performance while reciting the phrases “we’re young” or “just wait until we develop.” Those days are over. We have developed and we’re only going to improve. New Bucks force that turnover, they sink that free throw, and they send their fans out cheering in the streets beaming with pride knowing that Milwaukee Bucks Basketball is back. This team is ready to win right now and thanks to the utter dismantling of our old culture, followed by the complete and total installation of our New Bucks, we will. Go Bucks!
Bucks Beat Pacers 118-101 In First Game At Fiserv Forum tonight. But the Bucks started the game off slow and had to call a timeout before getting on the score board. Dedicated fans were still standing awaiting the first regular season Bucks points in history. After the timeout they quickly got on the board with 2 Giannis dunks and a Middleton steal and dunk.
The Bucks got rolling and we’re up 62-53 at the half on the Indiana Pacers. By the games half Giannis already had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Brogdon also added 11 points in the first half.
FoxSports
Milwaukee continued to roll in the second half and the game was far from competitive. To be honest Indiana was flat and couldn’t get anything going. John Henson did the unthinkable and hit 2 three pointers including one as time expired in the 3rd quarter.
The Greek Freak finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds as Middleton chipped in with 23 points of his own including 5 three pointers.
The Bucks host game three of the season Monday in Milwaukee as they host the New York Knicks. The game starts at 8:30 from the Fiserv Forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeJe80kxiVs
Bucks Beat Pacers 118-101 In First Game At Fiserv Forum
