2023-24 Bucks Season Thread

[CheezWizHed]

The starting schedule is pretty funny though.  76ers, Hawks, Heat... just missing the Celtics (Nov 22nd) for a playoff preview to start the season. 

[SomewhereInTime]

Fire Griffin

[HarryDoyle]

Maybe it's because the team still has to develop a chemistry with Dame, but two blowout losses to far inferior teams in the first four games of the season is a bad look.

[patrickgpe]

15 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

Maybe it's because the team still has to develop a chemistry with Dame, but two blowout losses to far inferior teams in the first four games of the season is a bad look.

I get its a new coaching staff and they completely changed their team dynamic right before camp started, but losing Holiday may be a bigger deal than thought. 

[patrickgpe]

I know they are not made for me, but I think just about every single CC jersey this year is awful. I really wish it was a 3-5 year rotation rather than a new concept to sell every year. I can't even imagine what these jerseys will honor in 5 years as Nike / NBA runs out of ideas.

 

[CheezWizHed]

It isn't a good look, but the first half of the season most likely is going to be figuring a lot of things out.  What works, what doesn't, who works together, who is going to step up this year, etc...  So many people questions along with new defense and new offense (minus the offensive coach)... 

They have two new starters on offense.  Khris is returning from injury.  Crowder, Green, and Beauchamp are all taking bigger roles this year.  All trying to figure out a new coach's D-philosophy... and who knows what is going on offensively with Stotts gone.  

I'm much more concerned if you don't see the team start to gel in the second half. 

[SomewhereInTime]

Modern NBA looks like they're playing on Mars.  The court, jerseys, shoes, all complete a horrible mismatch of random colors.  What a horrible eyesore.

[nate82]

Giannis regressing offensively.  Wow is he bad in the pick and roll.

[patrickgpe]

Nice to see dame take over at the end of the game tonight 

[sveumrules]

Good to see the Bucks hold on tonight, but I think there are a few things contributing to the uneven start.

Giannis had his knee cleaned up this summer, so his basketball activity was limited and he is working his way into shape as the season goes on.

Lillard was a late acquisition & Stotts abrupt departure is now going to elongate whatever getting to know each other period because…

…it appears AG doesn’t have much of a scheme. Bud may have had his limitations, but he came in and the Bucks won their first seven games (by 111 combined points) and didn’t lose two in a row until their 63rd/64th game of the season.

This definitely ain’t that.

[young guns]

The only thing uglier than the court and uniforms were the wide open shots the Bucks took at the rim.

[nate82]

2 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Giannis had his knee cleaned up this summer, so his basketball activity was limited and he is working his way into shape as the season goes on.

I wish this was the only issue with Giannis as he looks completely lost in pick and rolls.  The Lopez turnover in the 4th is a key example of this.  Giannis was supposed to roll towards the basket instead he looked lost and was standing at the top of the key.  It is like he only knew how to do one play in the 4th and that was stand at the top of the key and drive at all of the defenders. 

Giannis is taking steps backwards offensively.  I am not sure if it is just something mental or him not knowing how to run an effective pick and roll.  I am hoping it is just something mental and he will get over it but if he continues to look lost with the pick and roll this team is not going to go very far.  Giannis needs to learn how to roll and not stand at the top of the key.  If he rolls in the 4th he has an easy bucket that Lopez would have been able to get him in a cut right down the lane. 

This feels like we are dealing with rookie Giannis right now.

[nate82]

Nice game tonight and Giannis actually made some free throws.  Middleton's minutes are starting to increase.  Hopefully he will start to eat away some of Crowder's minutes.  Crowder has been abysmal but his minutes should drop to about 20 per night once Middleton is fully healthy so there is that. 

[CheezWizHed]

On 11/4/2023 at 12:12 AM, nate82 said:

I wish this was the only issue with Giannis as he looks completely lost in pick and rolls.  The Lopez turnover in the 4th is a key example of this.  Giannis was supposed to roll towards the basket instead he looked lost and was standing at the top of the key.  It is like he only knew how to do one play in the 4th and that was stand at the top of the key and drive at all of the defenders. 

Giannis is taking steps backwards offensively.  I am not sure if it is just something mental or him not knowing how to run an effective pick and roll.  I am hoping it is just something mental and he will get over it but if he continues to look lost with the pick and roll this team is not going to go very far.  Giannis needs to learn how to roll and not stand at the top of the key.  If he rolls in the 4th he has an easy bucket that Lopez would have been able to get him in a cut right down the lane. 

This feels like we are dealing with rookie Giannis right now.

Maybe AG should've let Stotts finish the offensive discussion with the players before firing him!

Agreed.  Giannis is scoring a lot, but certainly looks a bit out of sorts on the court.  I kind of think this is a good thing.  Giannis was always raw at BB coming in, so seeing such a gap in his understanding of a basic BB play means he still has some untapped potential...perhaps something Bud should've unlocked long ago to break up the "build a wall" defenses. 

The main question/concern is if Giannis can turn the gap into a strength for him.  And unlike shooting 3 ptrs (PLEASE STOP!), I think this is an area well within his wheelhouse.  Just will take work and practice...things GA does excel at. 

I was worried about the loss of Stotts from the start.  Not that he was so brilliant, but just losing your main offensive leader right at a time when you were still installing the offense.  

And for AG, I hope he isn't the type of coach where he stubbornly sticks to his guns despite the limitations of his players... Either he needs to play Brooks less at times or adjust the D to fit him better. 

[nate82]

52 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

And for AG, I hope he isn't the type of coach where he stubbornly sticks to his guns despite the limitations of his players... Either he needs to play Brooks less at times or adjust the D to fit him better. 

This is what they did after the Toronto game.  The players talked with AG and he agreed to change the defense.  I think there is an article on The Athletic about this change.

[homer]

The absolute weakest technical and ejection of all time. This ref should be ashamed of himself. Silver doesn't want stars taking nights off, I doubt he wants them getting kicked out just after halftime for crap like this:

 

 

 

[young guns]

Wow.  That's some absolute bull.  I think the worst part is the refs reaction seemed to be, you're ejected go away and refusing to explain the why.

[sveumrules]

Definitely a fun game last night.

Pistons predictably went on a run after Giannis was tossed, then Dame came in down by eight points with like nine minutes left and just did his thing.

Brook also came up huge at the end with a nice deep three - blocked shot combo for the dagger and knife twist.

B2B with Indy tonight who are currently 2nd in pace and 1st in scoring on the young season with Tyrese Haliburton leading the way (& doing Oshkosh proud) at 23 PPG | 12 APG | 4 RPG on .627 TS% so far.

[homer]

6 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

B2B with Indy tonight who are currently 2nd in pace and 1st in scoring on the young season with Tyrese Haliburton leading the way (& doing Oshkosh proud) at 23 PPG | 12 APG | 4 RPG on .627 TS% so far.

At least Giannis is rested :)

[homer]

Giannis might score 60 tonight.

[sveumrules]

Nice comeback after an ugly first quarter, but just ran out of steam there at the end.

Gotta think they hold on if Dame was closing it out instead of gassed Giannis turning it over twice in a row down the stretch.

[adambr2]

I think the Bucks probably regret the Adrian Griffin hire already. He looks in way over his head. 

[SomewhereInTime]

5 hours ago, adambr2 said:

I think the Bucks probably regret the Adrian Griffin hire already. He looks in way over his head. 

Yeah that was a pretty bad sign when Stotts walked off the job in the preseason.  This was not the time for a rookie coach.

[HarryDoyle]

You hate to jump to conclusions after nine games, but the Griffin hire is starting to look like a major gaffe. They haven't even been competitive in most of their losses, and to significantly inferior teams. Then barely squeaking by Detroit. Meanwhile, Nick Nurse hasn't lost a game since opening night to the Bucks. I don't expect him to get fired anytime soon but if things continue the way they are he won't make it past this season, if not the All Star break.

[nate82]

Crowder out 8 weeks.  
https://www.fox6now.com/sports/bucks-jae-crowder-to-undergo-surgery.amp