2023-24 Bucks Season Thread

[HarryDoyle]

2 hours ago, nate82 said:

It doesn’t sound like Giannis will be available for game one and is probably out for game two also.  

They're cooked, and the national media knows it too. I don't know of one person who thinks the Bucks will win this series.

[sveumrules]

2 minutes ago, HarryDoyle said:

They're cooked, and the national media knows it too. I don't know of one person who thinks the Bucks will win this series.

I know of thousands of people who think the Bucks will win this series.

Their conviction is so strong they’ve bet money on it and everything.

[Brian]

On their official injury report to the NBA, the Bucks list Giannis Antetokounmpo listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the playoffs against Indiana because of his calf injury.

[nate82]

4 hours ago, Brian said:

On their official injury report to the NBA, the Bucks list Giannis Antetokounmpo listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the playoffs against Indiana because of his calf injury.

He also wasn’t able to do anything other than do the walk through and that was it.  Nothing physical.

[nate82]

Dame playing angry I like it!

[nate82]

Almost a perfect outcome for the Bucks today the Pacers have come out flat other than Siakam.

[Brian]

I think Giannis is holding Dame back.  Dame can play his style game more without Giannis wanting the ball every possession. 

[nate82]

1 minute ago, Brian said:

I think Giannis is holding Dame back.  Dame can play his style game more without Giannis wanting the ball every possession. 

The problem with Giannis is that he still doesn't understand what he needs to do in the pick and roll.  He either just stands there allowing the defender to cover Dame and not allow for an easy pass to the basket.  Giannis is just not good at spacing in the pick and roll.  He either sticks to close to Dame or he goes high when he supposed to go low or he moves to the wrong spot.

It is not Giannis wanting the ball every possession it is him not understanding the pick and roll.  To be honest it would probably be better to use Middleton and Dame in the pick and roll but the Bucks rarely use Middleton in the pick and roll.  While Middleton is a better shooter and you don't want Giannis sitting on the 3-point line.  Giannis has just not grasped the concept of where he needs to be in the pick and roll.  It has been a problem all season long. 

[Brian]

2 minutes ago, nate82 said:

The problem with Giannis is that he still doesn't understand what he needs to do in the pick and roll.  He either just stands there allowing the defender to cover Dame and not allow for an easy pass to the basket.  Giannis is just not good at spacing in the pick and roll.  He either sticks to close to Dame or he goes high when he supposed to go low or he moves to the wrong spot.

It is not Giannis wanting the ball every possession it is him not understanding the pick and roll.  To be honest it would probably be better to use Middleton and Dame in the pick and roll but the Bucks rarely use Middleton in the pick and roll.  While Middleton is a better shooter and you don't want Giannis sitting on the 3-point line.  Giannis has just not grasped the concept of where he needs to be in the pick and roll.  It has been a problem all season long. 

Why can't Giannis be taught that then. It shouldn't be that hard to learn for a pro.  

[adambr2]

I had little faith that Lillard was going to step up with Giannis out. But, he sure is proving me wrong tonight. 

[nate82]

5 minutes ago, Brian said:

Why can't Giannis be taught that then. It shouldn't be that hard to learn for a pro.  

I blame Jason Kidd for this.  He didn't really do all that well in the early of Giannis' career to get him to learn this.  Also spacing has been bad with Giannis throughout his whole career.  It is not something that can be taught it is either you figure it out or you don't.

It is not like they haven't been practicing it and Giannis knows this is a problem.  He has talked about a few times in some interviews.  Giannis is also a poor 3-pt shooter and when they switch high low with Dame and Giannis the defense can basically just ignore Giannis when he goes high and just double team Dame.  Lopez and Portis are actually better at the pick and roll with Dame than Giannis is.  Giannis should be better at the low high switch but for whatever reason he just doesn't space correctly.  He doesn't attack the basket quick enough or he moves to the high position when he should be going low. 

[Brian]

5 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I had little faith that Lillard was going to step up with Giannis out. But, he sure is proving me wrong tonight. 

Last  time Giannis sat and Lillard played I think he had 59 points.

[Joseph Zarr]

No lead ever feels safe with the Bucks - just a friendly reminder.

AND:

😅

[Brian]

Yes 14 points isn't very much now.

[adambr2]

47 minutes ago, Brian said:

Last  time Giannis sat and Lillard played I think he had 59 points.

Been quiet since halftime, but they won't need any more from him tonight. 

[Brian]

Al least Indiana has cooled off a little bit.

[thebruce44]

17 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

They're cooked, and the national media knows it too. I don't know of one person who thinks the Bucks will win this series.

[SeaBass]

Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the game but it concerns me that Dame was shut down in the 2nd half. I don't know if he spent all his energy in the first half or if Indiana just figured out how to stop him.

7 game series, they're going to need Dame for all four quarters. It doesn't do much good if Indiana can just neutralize Dame at will. Indiana had a bad night shooting, that's not going to happen every night.

That said, watching the highlights, that looked fun.

[thebruce44]

3 hours ago, SeaBass said:

Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the game but it concerns me that Dame was shut down in the 2nd half. I don't know if he spent all his energy in the first half or if Indiana just figured out how to stop him.

7 game series, they're going to need Dame for all four quarters. It doesn't do much good if Indiana can just neutralize Dame at will. Indiana had a bad night shooting, that's not going to happen every night.

That said, watching the highlights, that looked fun.

I wasn't able to watch the whole game myself, but from what I saw, he came out and put them in a hole, then got everyone else involved.

[RedStickBrew]

4 hours ago, SeaBass said:

Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the game but it concerns me that Dame was shut down in the 2nd half. I don't know if he spent all his energy in the first half or if Indiana just figured out how to stop him.

7 game series, they're going to need Dame for all four quarters. It doesn't do much good if Indiana can just neutralize Dame at will. Indiana had a bad night shooting, that's not going to happen every night.

That said, watching the highlights, that looked fun.

Indiana trapped and doubled Dame to get the ball out of his hands early in the shot clock. I think he only took a handful of attempts the second half but got others involved. Looking forward to see the adjustments in game 2. 

[SeaBass]

1 hour ago, RedStickBrew said:

Indiana trapped and doubled Dame to get the ball out of his hands early in the shot clock. I think he only took a handful of attempts the second half but got others involved. Looking forward to see the adjustments in game 2. 

He only had 3 assists. If the traps and double teaming worked in the 2nd half then expect that to become their strategy until he proves it doesn't work. 0 points suggests it works.

[HarryDoyle]

17 hours ago, thebruce44 said:

One half of outlier basketball isn't going to change my mind.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I wouldn't even bother having Giannis go until they've lost 2 games - and obviously he's physically able to play. That was a huge win if for no other reason than meaning they leave MKE with the extra 2 days  off, at worst, tied 1-1.

If they can go to Indiana up 2-0 it's incredible. He wouldn't even necessarily have to travel with them.

[BrewerFan]

5 hours ago, SeaBass said:

He only had 3 assists. If the traps and double teaming worked in the 2nd half then expect that to become their strategy until he proves it doesn't work. 0 points suggests it works.

Yeah, but if you're trapping well above the 3 point line, you would expect more of a hockey assist. 

Either way, the rest of the team is going to have to keep hitting shots to make Indiana pay.

1 hour ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I wouldn't even bother having Giannis go until they've lost 2 games - and obviously he's physically able to play. That was a huge win if for no other reason than meaning they leave MKE with the extra 2 days  off, at worst, tied 1-1.

If they can go to Indiana up 2-0 it's incredible. He wouldn't even necessarily have to travel with them.

I agree...I'd probably leave him to rehab in Milwaukee either way. Gotta win one of the next 3 and then maybe hope he comes back. 

 

[patrickgpe]

I know tonight is game 2 and the draft is the least thing on everyone's mind, but the bucks were granted pick 21 after winning tie breakers with New Orleans and Phoenix. Unfortunately the Pelicans will use their right to swap picks from the Bledsoe trade.