Milwaukee Bucks 2014 - 2015 (part 2)

[davego]

Great win tonight! So close to being a 2-2 series. I don't expext the Bucks to win on Monday, but I know that I have enjoyed the heck out of the last two games!

[RobDeer 45]

What a pass on that game winner! Awesome play too!

[tmwiese55]

Great win, glad they got at least one and didn't get eliminated at home. Too bad they didn't get game 3 and have this tied 2-2. I know they still wouldn't win the series but it would be great experience for the guys to be in a 2-2 game 5 and 3-2 game 6 rather than 3-1 game 5 when you're kind of resigned to your fate.

 

I'm with FV on the whole Knight/MCW talk. I'm fine with the trade and see the plan, especially when you're aware of the salary cap and contract aspects. But to act like MCW is better than Knight right now for this team is just foolish (for lack of a better word). The team was playing great with Knight before the trade, great chemistry and flow on offense. After the trade the team lost more than they won and the offense gets clogged down because there's no spacing because MCW and Giannis can't shoot. I know some of the struggles were due to the bench getting injured but the trade and everyone having to learn how to play together was the biggest factor. There's a better chance they'd have gotten the 5 seed vs not making the playoffs as one person suggested.

 

Again, I'm fine with the trade but as I think I said on here they likely win game 3 with Bayless in instead of MCW. In game 4 they did that and they won. Just hope MCW improves the 3 pt shot big time this offseason and really steps up a level next season.

[Outlander]

Knight was hurt and played like garbage with the Suns, I don' think they would be in any better position.

[tmwiese55]

You realize he might not have gotten hurt had he not been traded right? the whole sequence of events changes. Also, you have to remember there is a period of adjustment for him joining a new team and a team which just traded half it's roster so they all had to adjust. Just remember how well the Bucks were playing before the trade, that's what matters in this specific discussion. Even people like me who are taking this side of the agreement agree with the trade being done so it's kind of a pointless argument.

[FVBrewerFan]

I sense the Bulls win handily tonight, but if the Bucks can somehow pull-off another win it gets real interesting. No team has ever come back from 0-3, but I would bet that's because 90% of the time those series are over in 4 or 5. Bring in back home for game 6, and it's on!

[tmwiese55]

I'd be really surprised by a win tonight but really they've competed in all games so who knows. Getting that game 6 in Milwaukee would be really good experience and just good for the city and to drum up support for the team going forward and to get the stadium done. It's not like the other recent playoff appearances when there wasn't this future upside like there is now. Those were like 'great, we squeaked in the playoffs with some mediocre veterans', although they did almost beat Atl that one year.

 

I think you get my point though, this actually has the feel of optimism for the future. Think of it like the first year OKC made the playoffs but lost in the first round, then they kept progressing each year until the made the finals. but the harden trade and injuries stopped the momentum.

[molitor fan]

Hey, there are a lot of MCW haters, but I think if you do not see what he brings to the team versus Knight, the vision, the defense....sorry but I disagree with what you are seeing on the court...MCW's defense is insane at times. When we get Jimmy Butler on this roster next year his playmaking ability is going to be more realized - he just does not have the weapons that can show off his skills...personally, I thought Knight was extremely over-rated defensively...a guy like Kemba Walker regularly torched Knight...

 

the number one thing that MCW needs to improve upon, even more than his outside shot is between the ears, and I think he will....the dumb mistakes he made at end of game three are all mental fatigue related - he needs to get tougher - and with Kidd there, I think he will

 

MCW is always going to be a divisive player I think, but I think he can be an all-star and a guy that you can win multiple playoff rounds with...he is not there yet, but I think he will get there, and in my estimation, Knight will never be that kind of player

[superfly]

I freaking LOVE this team...so happy, I don't want the ride to end just yet. MCW absolutely destroyed Rose tonight, hopefully all the BKnight people were watching. Each and every game of this series we have played the Bulls better and better...2 more to go.

 

This is awesome. Let's get that Bradley Center rocking on Thursday night and try to make some history!!!!!

[Baldkin]

What a game.

 

Zaza with two ridiculous circus shots.

 

MCW and Middleton carrying the team, as Giannis and Ersan struggle.

 

Pau Gasol intentionally fouling, then complaining about the foul being called.

[fondybrewfan]

I actually watched this game instead of the Brewers. If MCW can consistently get to the rim like that it makes the Bucks a real good team. Henson kinda quietly has turned into a real solid player as well; hell of a rebounder.

 

Considering what everyone expected going into the season I think virtually everyone is pretty excited about taking the Bulls to atleast 6. And this is without Parker

[ELCABALLO45]

MCW was unreal tonight. I freakin love this team.

 

Win at home on Thursday and anything can happen in a game 7. Let's make history.

[tmwiese55]

Again, I don't think I've seen anyone on this thread here say they don't like MCW or that they shouldn't have done the trade. All they've said is right now this season they would've been better had they kept him, frankly I don't see how anyone can argue the other direction. 11-18 post trade, 30-21 pretrade. The team currentlylacks shooting, big time, and that's what Knight provided.

 

MCW was great tonight, was able to consistently get to the rim for the first time all series. I wonder what was different on the Bulls tonight though, maybe Rose slowing down after playing this many consecutive games with full minutes and only one day off in between? Because all the other games they've just sagged off MCW cutting off his drives. Or maybe MCW just played better than he has the other games, could be that simple.

 

This is why most, including me, are fine with the trade. Can see the potential and what he brings to the team with more of a playmaking ability going forward as Giannis, Jabari hopefully develop more into the scorers. And with his size on D the ability to switch all positions on D. Factor in Knights main limitation of not having great vision to be a creator type PG, and the contract/cap reasons and we get it and it makes sense and really hope he takes a step up next year and becomes a star.

 

The team's D last night in the 3rd and 4th was absolutely insane. Bulls really couldn't get a shot off other than a contest jumper. I thought the refs really kept Chicago in the game in the 3rd quarter with a lot of 50/50 calls that went their way, I couldn't find much to complain about in the 4th though other than the one time they just hammered Giannis going up for a dunk.

[JohnBriggs12]

MCW doesn't yet know how good he is. This is a guy who hardly played as a freshman at Syracuse, and two years later was NBA rookie of the year. Some games he's just not assertive offensively but as he gets confidence he can be a perennial All Star. His height is such an advantage.

 

Real unsung guy on this team is Henson though. If he ever developed a mid range shot, he'd be unstoppable.

[stoutdude04]

I dont watch a lot of NBA basketball because I just dont enjoy it, but I did watch this game instead of the Brewers last night and I found myself rooting and cheering for them. They are an exciting group and got a non fan to enjoy the game and start looking towards game 6. I also found myself looking up Bucks apparel...which was shocking. Hopefully they can push it to 7, but it was an entertaining game last night.

[tmwiese55]

For people like you who got turned off to the NBA years ago. It's a good time to come back and give it a shot, a lot has changed in the last 4-5 years. last night's game wasn't a good example, but in general the game is much more open, fast paced, with lots of passing and movement. As opposed to the mid 00s of slow down isolation grind it out style that rightfully turned lots of people off.

 

Wait until the apparel with new logos comes out, much better than the current.

[FVBrewerFan]

Hey, there are a lot of MCW haters, but I think if you do not see what he brings to the team versus Knight, the vision, the defense....sorry but I disagree with what you are seeing on the court...MCW's defense is insane at times. When we get Jimmy Butler on this roster next year his playmaking ability is going to be more realized - he just does not have the weapons that can show off his skills...personally, I thought Knight was extremely over-rated defensively...a guy like Kemba Walker regularly torched Knight...

 

I don't recall seeing any MCW "haters" on this board. He had a great game last night, carried the team. Yet he was awful in game 4, didn't even finish the game. Off and on throughout the series. Most of the series Rose/Butler have torched him and the other Bucks guards. Last night tBulls were dead cold from 3, it happens.

 

Not sure how Knight's defense can be extremely over-rated, I don't think anyone has ever thought of him as more than an average defender. Besides, the way the Bucks play defense it's not all about one-on-one match-ups. They switch basically every time there's a pick. And that's why MCW is the better defender. If he gets caught on a bigger player he can hold his own much better than Knight. None of that is a surprise.

 

We can debate this to death, but I still maintain Knight's shooting would have helped this team in this series. In fact, if Knight was still here they would probably have played Toronto instead. But I'm done with all that. The trade is done, and MCW is a better long-term solution at PG.

[FVBrewerFan]

For people like you who got turned off to the NBA years ago. It's a good time to come back and give it a shot, a lot has changed in the last 4-5 years. last night's game wasn't a good example, but in general the game is much more open, fast paced, with lots of passing and movement. As opposed to the mid 00s of slow down isolation grind it out style that rightfully turned lots of people off.

 

Wait until the apparel with new logos comes out, much better than the current.

 

I am a re-born Bucks (and NBA) fan. My son got me back into it, actually. I walked away because of all the thugs, the street-style of ball, no defense, players seemingly caring more about themselves than winning, etc.

 

It is better basketball today, due to most of those above issues are gone- or at least much improved. I always appreciate defense in any sport, because it requires effort and heart. Watching the Bucks, they have plenty of both.

[tmwiese55]

One of the biggest stereotypes people that don't watch the NBA will say is that there is no defense. There's really never been more complicated defenses than there is now, huge emphasis on it from most teams. Compare this to the golden age of 1980s and there's way more D now. There was probably more in the early to mid 90s and then it got to be even more in the late 90s and early 00s where they were essentially beating each other up on the court. I think they've found a good middle ground right now to open it up to be more entertaining.

 

I also have always not liked the "thug" argument people made. Not that I disagree with it. But my beef was more that it's hypocritical to say that about the NBA while being an NFL fan instead, as most people that say this are. When really it's always been worse in the NFL.

[BrewBalls]

Bucks looked great last night and I'm excited for the future. As for the future, I would look to make a few changes this offseason to continue improving the roster.

 

1. Trade Henson (while his value is high) and Ennis along with the Clippers 1st Rd Pick to move up and get Kaminsky

2. Draft Justin Anderson at #17

3. Resign Middleton (4yrs/$60M) and Dudley (3yrs/$15M)

4. Sign Kendall Marshall (2yrs/$3M) to back up MCW

5. Sign Kosta Koufos (4yrs/$32M)

 

Starting Lineup:

PG - MCW

SG - Middleton

SF - Parker

PF - Antetekounmpo

C - Koufos

 

Bench:

PG - Marshall and Bayless

SG - Mayo and Anderson

SF - Dudley and Inglis

PF - Kaminsky and Ilyasova

C - Pachulia and Plumlee

 

With roughly $22M coming off the books the following season, they will have plenty of money available to sign some decent free agents to fill out the bench and extend Giannis and Parker.

[tmwiese55]

Any reason you're that high on Koufos to give him 8mil/yr. He's never stood out to me as someone worthy of starting and that much money. Quickly scanned his stats here and from what I can tell he scored more than 10 pts twice all year. I know he's a backup but for that kind of faith you'd have to seen flashes? I guess what I'm getting at is why not just keep Henson instead of getting him? probably half the money too.

[BrewBalls]

Any reason you're that high on Koufos to give him 8mil/yr. He's never stood out to me as someone worthy of starting and that much money. Quickly scanned his stats here and from what I can tell he scored more than 10 pts twice all year. I know he's a backup but for that kind of faith you'd have to seen flashes? I guess what I'm getting at is why not just keep Henson instead of getting him? probably half the money too.

I like the fact he can shoot the mid-range jumper which should help space the floor and clear the lane for MCW, Giannis and Parker to drive. Remember he is stuck behind Marc Gasol which is why his minutes have been limited. Unfortunately, $7-8M is what i believe a young big man who can shoot and pass will cost on the open market. As for not keeping Henson, he only has one solid offensive move, lacks motivation and is extremely inconsistent. Yes, he shows flashes but can never seem to put everything together for an extended period. I'm hoping some team will look at his 36PER numbers and think they have found a diamond in the rough who they can polish up and give us something of value in return. At worst we are spending $8M on a back up center who can spread the floor while flipping Henson for a stretch 4/5 in Kaminsky who has the ability to becone our starting center in the next couple of years. Koufos is also a better rebounder than Henson whihc is a current weakness on this team.

[fondybrewfan]

I think resigning Middleton is a must. To me the core of this team going forward is MCW, Middleton, Giannis, Parker, and Henson. They need to get a shooter in the draft; a hybrid PG/SG type. I kinda like Henson at the C but I don't know if he can hold up over the entire year. They need to draft or sign a big body bruiser type like Zaza.

 

The turnaround this team has gone through in only one year while not signing any FA stars is rather incredible. Just imagine if Parker was still playing right now. I hope this doesn't turn out like the last time they were playing at the end. I can't remember the year but they traded for Salmons and went on a great run in the 2nd half and then lost in 7 to Atlanta. The Bucks were stupid and resigned Salmons and some other veterans and then they sucked again. Stick to the youth movement please.

[patrickgpe]

i was on board with the trade on day 1, but probably not for the same reason I am on board now. I felt he would be a great asset next season, but its pretty obvious that he is a large part of the reason why the bucks are back in this series. He still needs to work on his jumpshot, but the intangibles he brings isn't coachable.

 

What do you guys think about bringing in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, probably the best defender in the draft after WCS.

[FVBrewerFan]

There's two ways the Bucks can go next year. Try to improve their weak spot, or strengthen their strengths. I would do the latter. Give me another long guy who can protect the rim, athletic enough to run the floor. I want 2 or 3 of that type of guy on the court at all times.

 

Other than that, I wouldn't make any changes. Continuity is very important to this team, and I think that will really help in the development of Giannis, Parker, and MCW. Sign Middleton? I suppose so. I'm always hesitant to throw big money at anyone who isn't a part of a big 3. With that said, who's to say he won't be? So I'm fine with it I guess.

 

I see adding a long defender in the draft, pick up a ZaZa type Center to provide bulk against certain match-ups. (I still wonder if Plumley can be that guy.) Only other move I would make is trying to trade Sova for virtually anything- 2nd round pick would be fine. Then Parker would essentially get his minutes.

 

Then give that team a full season to play together. By the end of that season it will be much more clear what is needed to take the team to the next level, and they can then identify those players in the draft, via trade, and free agency.

 

For once, I think the Bucks are ahead of the curve, and they should stay on this path. Build the team on defense and guys who can run the floor, guys who can drive and finish in the half-court. Hot trend now is to spread the floor and have a bunch of shooters, but that will change. And when more teams emphasize defense, the Bucks will already have a 3-4 year head-start.