Bucks 2022-2023 Season Thread

[homer]

 

[Joseph Zarr]

This Bucks team is incredibly talented, incredibly deep, and incredibly good. They can just coast through games and flip on a 15-20 point run switch seemingly at will. Clearly the most talented team assembled around Giannis but this may be the best Bucks team I have witnessed in my lifetime. I really hope they can ramp up Midds for back-to-backs come playoffs but I don't know if that is in the cards this season. And, now, it seems they even found a player in AJ Green - incredible shot already but he is also always making the right basketball decision. It's hard to fathom how good a fit Jae Crowder is and they essentially acquired him for nothing considering teams can always buy into the 2nd round. I simply hope they stay healthy. They have all the pieces to win another One and I certainly didn't feel that way early in the season.

[homer]

 

 

[sveumrules]

Bucks, last 16 games: 16-0
Rockets, last 78 games: 16-62

[patrickgpe]

Can someone here answer this question

I know they cut Mamu yesterday and it freed up a 2 way spot. I thought 3/1 was the deadline to add a buyout player / FA to the roster and be eligible for the playoffs, since that has come and gone the bucks will go into the playoffs a 2 way player short and 1 roster spot empty? Or is the deadline later?

[owbc]

16 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

This Bucks team is incredibly talented, incredibly deep, and incredibly good. They can just coast through games and flip on a 15-20 point run switch seemingly at will. Clearly the most talented team assembled around Giannis but this may be the best Bucks team I have witnessed in my lifetime. I really hope they can ramp up Midds for back-to-backs come playoffs but I don't know if that is in the cards this season. And, now, it seems they even found a player in AJ Green - incredible shot already but he is also always making the right basketball decision. It's hard to fathom how good a fit Jae Crowder is and they essentially acquired him for nothing considering teams can always buy into the 2nd round. I simply hope they stay healthy. They have all the pieces to win another One and I certainly didn't feel that way early in the season.

Just gotta stay healthy. We might be talking about going for a three-peat if Middleton was healthy last spring. What this team is doing in an era where the margin for error is thinner than ever is truly incredible. I really, really want this group to bag that second banner to solidify the legacy that they deserve. 

[HarryDoyle]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:11 AM, homer said:

 

Why was the locker room a mess? Typical Celtics honk speak. They're afriad.

[sveumrules]

6 hours ago, patrickgpe said:

Can someone here answer this question

I know they cut Mamu yesterday and it freed up a 2 way spot. I thought 3/1 was the deadline to add a buyout player / FA to the roster and be eligible for the playoffs, since that has come and gone the bucks will go into the playoffs a 2 way player short and 1 roster spot empty? Or is the deadline later?

Apparently the rule is the player needs to be waived by 3/1 to be eligible for playoffs & Bucks are meeting with Dragic as a possibility.

Believe Leonard got a second ten day too, so he could be in line for a full time spot as a big who can shoot from deep.

Nerlens Noel is out there too if they wanted more of a rim protector instead.

Also read they want to keep the second two way open for flexibility since there won’t really be many minutes anyway.

Jrue/Jevon/Goran?
Grayson/Pat/Wes
Khris/Jingles/Marjon
Giannis/Jae/Thanasis
Brook/Bobby/Leonard?

Love what I’ve seen from AJ Green too, think I saw if they wait until the offseason to give him an actual roster spot they could sign him to a longer contract vs if they converted him before the season ends.

[patrickgpe]

Thanks that makes sense. Its funny because Dragic was in the same boat last year and chose to sign with the Nets. He would be a big help as a shooter off the bench though. 

[adambr2]

Was a nice streak. 76ers played out of their minds tonight. 

 

Middleton has been plum useless this season. Here's hoping he's healthy and fully effective by the time the playoffs roll around. 

[sveumrules]

5 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Middleton has been plum useless this season. Here's hoping he's healthy and fully effective by the time the playoffs roll around. 

They’re 16-1 in his last 17 games and he has a +7.2 on/off this year.

He’s been plenty useful when on the court, even if the minutes are still ramping up,

[True Blue Brew Crew]

6 hours ago, adambr2 said:

Was a nice streak. 76ers played out of their minds tonight. 

 

Middleton has been plum useless this season. Here's hoping he's healthy and fully effective by the time the playoffs roll around. 

Knew someone would overreact, thanks for providing the proof.

[sveumrules]

No Giannis, no Jrue, no problem.

Middleton with a casual 24 points and 11 assists while his minutes ramped up to 30 for the first time since he returned to the rotation.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

13 hours ago, sveumrules said:

No Giannis, no Jrue, no problem.

Middleton with a casual 24 points and 11 assists while his minutes ramped up to 30 for the first time since he returned to the rotation.

It's crazy how Giannis can miss a game here and there, and there is little to any visible decrease in the quality of play. It always seems like a different guy stepping up nearly every game, too. Last night it was Brook, Middleton and Carter. We've seen games where even Beauchamp and Green get big minutes and play well. Crowder is starting to get his wind back, and Dragic should be able to provide quality minutes to give Holiday breathers and keep him healthy. At this point, it's pretty hard to see any team take out the Bucks in a 7-game series. This group is just too deep and talented, and they have great chemistry. 

[adambr2]

On 3/5/2023 at 4:36 AM, True Blue Brew Crew said:

Knew someone would overreact, thanks for providing the proof.

🤣 literally said it was a nice streak and the only reason we lost is the 76ers played out of their mind that game. 

Yes I was critical of Mids but having him healthy and fully effective in the playoffs is so important to our success as we found out last season.

[HarryDoyle]

The Celtics lose to Houston so that evens out with us.

 

Certainly didn't stay up to watch the game but saw the highlight of the scuffle at the end of the game. Good on Lopez standing up for Giannis after a cheap shove by Lyles.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I think it's time to turn our attention to Philly and not Boston. Philly has always seemed to present a matchup challenge and Embiid is so much more consistent than Tatum. I don't think Boston can beat the Bucks at full strength. I'm not sure Philly can either but those teams appear to be trending in opposite directions.

[homer]

East is pretty loaded this year. Don't overlook Cleveland or the Knicks. Playoffs should be fun.

[Joseph Zarr]

That was as big a road win in preparation for the Playoffs as you are going to see. Hell of a win (@ Sacto).

We don't have an NBA thread outside the Bucks so I'm just going to put this here. I love Dame in so many ways. This interview is an absolute must watch for anyone who follows the NBA at large or professional sports. He's a treasure. My only sadness is he and Giannis were never a pairing on the same squad:

(the full 8 minute or so interview segment is directly below in first comments)

[wallus]

Did not expect Brook Lopez to be the team enforcer but maybe he is just mad they closed down Splash Mountain and is taking it out on the league.

[sveumrules]

Team is currently lined up to win 60 games with Grayson/Jevon getting the 4th and 5th most minutes while Khris isn't likely to climb any higher than 9th in minutes by the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Denver has lost four straight against mostly non-competitive teams with their full squad.

Have to think Giannis could get some real traction for a 3rd MVP if the Bucks end up like five six wins ahead of everybody else at the end of the season.

Really only care about that 2nd FMVP though.

[homer]

Is it just me, or do people debate MVP a lot more for the NBA than any other pro sport?

[nate82]

43 minutes ago, homer said:

Is it just me, or do people debate MVP a lot more for the NBA than any other pro sport?

The NBA MVP is far more competitive than any other sport.

In the NFL it is just whoever the best QB is that year.  The NHL is also very competitive but the sport is just not popular enough to even discuss for most.

The NBA is also far more popular with gen Z’s than any other sport.  Sport shows are now starting to move on from gen x and millennials to gen z. 

[Outlander]

Attended last night's game and what a pathetic performance. It happens but there were so many time it looked like the Bucks would blow the Pacers away and they just couldn't do it. The defense against the three point shot gave me horrible flashbacks, hopefully not a sign of things to come.

[Samurai Bucky]

4 minutes ago, Outlander said:

Attended last night's game and what a pathetic performance. It happens but there were so many time it looked like the Bucks would blow the Pacers away and they just couldn't do it. The defense against the three point shot gave me horrible flashbacks, hopefully not a sign of things to come.

I was there, too.  My wife's first time at the Forum.  I heard people suggest that "If Lopez was playing..." I don't think he would have affected the Pacers hitting 50% from 3PT.

Hill went off.  The Bucks started playing playground ball after they got up early in the first.  Like you said -- the 3PT defense was non-existent.  Most of that, I would say, was on Connaughton.  He also had a bad game offensively.