Eastern Conference Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors

[adambr2]

I'm just sick. Toronto is proving they are the better team and the hungrier team. All that noise about the Bucks having the deeper bench is total nonsense. I just don't see how we win one more let alone two.

 

The thing is...the bench has pretty much been ignored the last few games. Guys like Connaughton and Ersan who have played big roles earlier in the playoffs haven't really been involved much anymore, and the more we've leaned on our starters, the more we've struggled.

[PinaMadness]

And Giannis is getting exposed. The Raptors just provided the blueprint on how to defend him. He'd better learn how to shoot a jumper during the off season and practice his free throws.

[homer]

Bucks choked hard. Toronto is very good and give them credit, but the Bucks missed open looks and ft's that they made all year and they panicked and forced things leading to turnovers.

 

Just want to see them play like they're capable of in game 6. Nothing to lose now so stop choking.

 

Makes some off season decisions easier though. Keeping Hill was always a no-brainer. Lopez had a few good games but was a liability for much of the playoffs. Give him the taxpayer MLE at most, maybe not even that. Niko cost himself millions but I would keep him. It's him or nobody and he deserves a chance to redeem himself. Don't ever want to see him at SF again but I'm willing to bet this is the worst slump of his career.

 

You still want to give Middleton a max contract?

[adambr2]

One thing that turned out to be really overstated this series is how much Leonard's minutes and minutes from the Raptors' other starters would wear them down and take a toll late in games.

 

You could maybe argue it was a factor in Game 1, other than that it was a total non-factor. If anything they got stronger late in games.

 

Cuz their bench has been lights out the last two games.

 

Yeah, but that doesn't change Kawhi coming up huge late in games as well.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

One thing that turned out to be really overstated this series is how much Leonard's minutes and minutes from the Raptors' other starters would wear them down and take a toll late in games.

 

You could maybe argue it was a factor in Game 1, other than that it was a total non-factor. If anything they got stronger late in games.

 

Overstated, maybe, but it's a factor, and one they mitigated by forcing the Bucks into half court way too often. That blowout game was full transition and you saw what happened. They adjusted after that and dominated since.

[GAME05]

It's not like there wasn't a Giannis Wall in the regular season. How is it suddenly so confounding in the playoffs?

[adambr2]

Bucks choked hard. Toronto is very good and give them credit, but the Bucks missed open looks and ft's that they made all year and they panicked and forced things leading to turnovers.

 

Just want to see them play like they're capable of in game 6. Nothing to lose now so stop choking.

 

Makes some off season decisions easier though. Keeping Hill was always a no-brainer. Lopez had a few good games but was a liability for much of the playoffs. Give him the taxpayer MLE at most, maybe not even that. Niko cost himself millions but I would keep him. It's him or nobody and he deserves a chance to redeem himself. Don't ever want to see him at SF again but I'm willing to bet this is the worst slump of his career.

 

I wouldn't say Lopez was a liability. I think this series is already over if it wasn't for him.

[OnTheBlack]

Yeah, but that doesn't change Kawhi coming up huge late in games as well.

 

 

No, it doesn't at all.

[coolhandluke121]

Bucks choked hard. Toronto is very good and give them credit, but the Bucks missed open looks and ft's that they made all year and they panicked and forced things leading to turnovers.

 

Just want to see them play like they're capable of in game 6. Nothing to lose now so stop choking.

 

Makes some off season decisions easier though. Keeping Hill was always a no-brainer. Lopez had a few good games but was a liability for much of the playoffs. Give him the taxpayer MLE at most, maybe not even that. Niko cost himself millions but I would keep him. It's him or nobody and he deserves a chance to redeem himself. Don't ever want to see him at SF again but I'm willing to bet this is the worst slump of his career.

 

You still want to give Middleton a max contract?

 

What? I had him at 4/$100 and said I'd give up if it went over 4/$120.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

And Giannis is getting exposed. The Raptors just provided the blueprint on how to defend him. He'd better learn how to shoot a jumper during the off season and practice his free throws.

 

Everyone knows that already. You can't pull it off without. Leonard/Ibaka type tandem. And even then, he still gets his points. Usually he's been bailed out by our shooters. That hasn't happened.

[yourout]

A four-game losing streak is not a nice way to end of season.

That said.. Toronto is the better team

[OnTheBlack]

Bucks choked hard. Toronto is very good and give them credit, but the Bucks missed open looks and ft's that they made all year and they panicked and forced things leading to turnovers.

 

Just want to see them play like they're capable of in game 6. Nothing to lose now so stop choking.

 

Makes some off season decisions easier though. Keeping Hill was always a no-brainer. Lopez had a few good games but was a liability for much of the playoffs. Give him the taxpayer MLE at most, maybe not even that. Niko cost himself millions but I would keep him. It's him or nobody and he deserves a chance to redeem himself. Don't ever want to see him at SF again but I'm willing to bet this is the worst slump of his career.

 

I wouldn't say Lopez was a liability. I think this series is already over if it wasn't for him.

 

 

He was plus 11 tonight. He had a big game. Hill was -22, worst on the team.

 

Now one game certainly doesn't change things, but Lopez helped keep us in the game.

 

And we're not giving Hill 19 million next year. It's just a stupid, pointless conversation. Not unless we let Brogdon who's 7 years younger walk along with Middleton and likely one of Mirotic/Lopez.

[coolhandluke121]

 

I wouldn't say Lopez was a liability. I think this series is already over if it wasn't for him.

 

You're probably just looking at some of the shots he made. Greg Monroe scored a lot too. There's an indirect domino effect of his lack of mobility that undermines the team and helps make things so easy for the other team. He's a better dinosaur than most centers like him but he's still a dinosaur. Just took better teams to expose him.

[PinaMadness]

I'm just sick. Toronto is proving they are the better team and the hungrier team. All that noise about the Bucks having the deeper bench is total nonsense. I just don't see how we win one more let alone two.

 

The thing is...the bench has pretty much been ignored the last few games. Guys like Connaughton and Ersan who have played big roles earlier in the playoffs haven't really been involved much anymore, and the more we've leaned on our starters, the more we've struggled.

And why DJ Wilson continues to sit boggles my mind.

[OnTheBlack]

It's not like there wasn't a Giannis Wall in the regular season. How is it suddenly so confounding in the playoffs?

 

 

The level of intensity goes up. Giannis starts tightening up and playing more out of control.

 

 

I can't think of ONE single great player who's gone from not winning a series to carrying his team to the NBA Championship. Magic would be the closest and he had Kareem. Jordan had to go through Detroit and get the crap beat out of him. They did something similar, they just hammered him when he got to the line. LeBron had to get through Boston and their big 3.

 

Every great has to overcome some part of their game that's lacking. With Giannis, his shooting touch, even from 8-10 feet needs work, and he needs to stop forcing things without a plan while running into the paint out of control.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Still likely true that the Fiserv visitors locker is soaked is champagne right now without Lopez. We've outplayed them 1/5 and he squeaked one for us with his 30 night.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It's not like there wasn't a Giannis Wall in the regular season. How is it suddenly so confounding in the playoffs?

 

 

The level of intensity goes up. Giannis starts tightening up and playing more out of control.

 

 

I can't think of ONE single great player who's gone from not winning a series to carrying his team to the NBA Championship. Magic would be the closest and he had Kareem. Jordan had to go through Detroit and get the crap beat out of him. They did something similar, they just hammered him when he got to the line. LeBron had to get through Boston and their big 3.

 

Every great has to overcome some part of their game that's lacking. With Giannis, his shooting touch, even from 8-10 feet needs work, and he needs to stop forcing things without a plan while running into the paint out of control.

 

Nobody else's wall has a Kawhi brick either. Let's not forget that. He's phenomenal and gets to adjust to playing the same guy 6-7 times. Something he has a lot more experience doing than Giannis does.

[OnTheBlack]

Bucks choked hard. Toronto is very good and give them credit, but the Bucks missed open looks and ft's that they made all year and they panicked and forced things leading to turnovers.

 

Just want to see them play like they're capable of in game 6. Nothing to lose now so stop choking.

 

Makes some off season decisions easier though. Keeping Hill was always a no-brainer. Lopez had a few good games but was a liability for much of the playoffs. Give him the taxpayer MLE at most, maybe not even that. Niko cost himself millions but I would keep him. It's him or nobody and he deserves a chance to redeem himself. Don't ever want to see him at SF again but I'm willing to bet this is the worst slump of his career.

 

You still want to give Middleton a max contract?

 

 

What is the alternative? You go cheap with him and try and save 3-4 million a year and you lose your only other All-Star and you risk losing Giannis next season.

 

And if you keep Giannis, you're still not going to have any cap room after he signs the supermax a year from now to sign anyone. So you'd better hope you find a guy who's 6'8, plays really tough D and can score.

[rickh150]

How VanVleet was given so many wide open shots in half court play, I'll never know. After two or three, you can't leave him alone. We had guards leaving him when 34 was in the lane contesting. Crazy nuts..

[PinaMadness]

At least Bud kept Mirotic on the bench the entire second half. I hope it stays that way for hopefully the next two games. DJ Wilson simply CANNOT be so bad as to be unplayable.

[adambr2]

Game 6 take:

 

I don't expect this to be a particularly competitive game. I'm not saying Bulls Game 7 from a few years ago bad, but I think at some point, they'll get down double digits and start panicking. They'll hurry some bad shots and exhibit some frustration, and continue to miss FTs in hostile territory. This team has demonstrated a lot of immaturity this series, and it's hard for me to see them responding well to inevitably tough moments that are to come on Saturday.

 

That said, I could be wrong. Maybe they finally get it together just in time to save their season. But winning 2 in a row never seemed as impossible as it seems right now.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Kinda expect 2001 ECF game 7 type. Come out looking ok, maybe get a decent lead, then choke it away and end up losing by 15. Don't think it'll be super fun to watch.

[OnTheBlack]

The level of intensity goes up. Giannis starts tightening up and playing more out of control.

 

 

I can't think of ONE single great player who's gone from not winning a series to carrying his team to the NBA Championship. Magic would be the closest and he had Kareem. Jordan had to go through Detroit and get the crap beat out of him. They did something similar, they just hammered him when he got to the line. LeBron had to get through Boston and their big 3.

 

Every great has to overcome some part of their game that's lacking. With Giannis, his shooting touch, even from 8-10 feet needs work, and he needs to stop forcing things without a plan while running into the paint out of control.

 

Nobody else's wall has a Kawhi brick either. Let's not forget that. He's phenomenal and gets to adjust to playing the same guy 6-7 times. Something he has a lot more experience doing than Giannis does.

 

 

It's scary to think what Kawhi could be if he had the heart Giannis has. I get he's been better this series and Giannis has had some of his flaws exposed, but his effort has NOT been an issue this series at all.

 

Kawhi on the other hand is a lock down defender...he was on Middleton most of the game, but it doesn't matter, whoever he's on, he can almost completely shut them down. And then on the other end he can get to the restricted area and hit his FT's as well as just about anyone, and he's dangerous from 3.

 

He's physically built like Bledsoe if Bled was about 6 inches taller. That ridiculous wing span and first step([sarcasm]although he apparently hasn't had any lateral quickness due to his Willis Reed like injury this series[/sarcasm]).

[OnTheBlack]

How VanVleet was given so many wide open shots in half court play, I'll never know. After two or three, you can't leave him alone. We had guards leaving him when 34 was in the lane contesting. Crazy nuts..

 

 

You have to pick your poison like they did with us. He was shooting 12 pct from 3 going into game 4.

 

If he's going to hit 7 of 9....we really don't have an answer for that.

 

It's frustrating as hell, but I don't know what the alternative is without letting Kawhi score unimpeded every other time down, a much more likely scenario if you're not going to rotate and double on him when he gets into the restricted area.

[adambr2]

Man I am so disappointed. Sometimes it just feels like a cursed lifestyle being a Wisconsin sports fan. I had us mentally already up against Golden State when we were up 2-0. I think honestly 95% of us did.

 

Makes you wonder how much of the team was mentally doing that as well.