Eastern Conference Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors

[adambr2]

I also doubt it would have made a difference, but I'm pretty ticked at Budd.

 

29 seconds left and a 3 point deficit and he's willing to burn 24 seconds of that to try to play D which is just mind-blowing because your literal best-case scenario is the same deficit with 5 seconds left and the Raptors having the ability to just immediately foul before you can even try to get a 3 off.

 

Foul immediately, worst case scenario you're down 5 with 29 seconds left, extend the game, get your shooters in there, find an open 3 and if you hit you cut it to 2 with still plenty of time left for something to happen.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[OnTheBlack]

What a tough way to end a great season. Go up 2-0 in the conference final and then look like a deer in the headlights four straight games in a row. And Bud just falls asleep to seal the loss....yikes.

 

I mean I know one should be thrilled with the season overall. The way it ended is more a slap in the face to really sour it. They weren’t ready to play elite teams in the playoffs. They simply weren’t ready for the big stage when it got serious.

 

Idk man. One team gets out and we were 1/2. They went down 0-1 to a good a Boston team and crushed them. I think that was a big stage.

 

This does suck. But it really feels like a growing pain. That I got to see it coming alowly over a week gives a bit more perspective on the big picture. I can't think of a team that's gone from can't win a series to in the Finals.

 

I'm drawing a blank. Maybe it's happened, but I can't recall.

 

Just because it sucks and it's an awful feeling, that doesn't change how promising the Bucks future is. The Raptors have dealt with this for years, they've just gotten swept. LeBron dealt with this in a far inferior East to what we played in this year and he lost to a Spurs team that employed the same strategy as teams tried to against the Bucks.

 

 

So Giannis is going to feel 10X worse than we feel and I'll guarantee you he comes back next year with a much improved mid range shot(his 3 point shot is already looking a lot better when he takes it right away).

 

 

Are we talking about how impossible it is for the Bucks to get back to the ECF's and then advance if Kyrie has a great series instead of the worst of his career and we lose to the Celts in 6? Or are we just saying that we took the next step by winning a series?

 

This is more like the Packers in the 90's than any Bucks or Brewers team we've seen since the early 80's Brewers. A team with a young Superstar who's still developing, but shockingly...couldn't get over that final hurdle their FIRST time in an Easter Conf finals.

[adambr2]

Haven't looked at the stats but I believe Giannis gave up about 30 points with his poor free throw shooting. If he just converts half of those and this series turns completely around. Just 5 more free throw makes this game and the Bucks may have won.

 

This is all on Giannis and he needs to get better at his free throw shooting.

 

Just please stop. He scores 2 more points today if he hits at his career norms.

 

I'm as frustrated as anyone with Giannis at the line in the playoffs but to watch this game and say it's "all" on him and his 5 for 10 FTs after watching a 27-3 Raptor run is just ridiculous.

[OnTheBlack]

I also doubt it would have made a difference, but I'm pretty ticked at Budd.

 

29 seconds left and a 3 point deficit and he's willing to burn 24 seconds of that to try to play D which is just mind-blowing because your literal best-case scenario is the same deficit with 5 seconds left and the Raptors having the ability to just immediately foul before you can even try to get a 3 off.

 

Foul immediately, worst case scenario you're down 5 with 29 seconds left, extend the game, get your shooters in there, find an open 3 and if you hit you cut it to 2 with still plenty of time left for something to happen.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

 

You're chances to win if you foul are probably....6-8 pct. Your chances if you DON'T foul have to be about 1 pct. You extend the game. I love what Bud did this year, but that was the dumbest thing I've seen since Giannis went for a layup instead of a 3 a few years ago with a few seconds left down 3. But he was 21 or 22 at the time, so hard to really fault him.

[OnTheBlack]

Haven't looked at the stats but I believe Giannis gave up about 30 points with his poor free throw shooting. If he just converts half of those and this series turns completely around. Just 5 more free throw makes this game and the Bucks may have won.

 

This is all on Giannis and he needs to get better at his free throw shooting.

 

 

Then look at the stats before saying something so asinine. He LITERALLY would have had to make more FT's than he shot in order for the Bucks to have won the game.

 

Yes, he needs to improve his FT shooting, but he does LITERALLY everything on the floor. He's a great passer, he's a great rebounder, he can defend all 5 positions....he's one of the 2-3 most unstoppable players in the game.

 

Saying this loss is ALL on Giannis for not hitting 12 of 10 FT's is absurd. It's just that simple.

 

 

His shot needs to improve, but I've yet to see a 24 year old who was perfect at the game of basketball.

[adambr2]

The fact that a healthy Mirotic did not even see the court tonight speaks volumes about how much of a failure he turned out to be as a Buck.

[OnTheBlack]

Haven't looked at the stats but I believe Giannis gave up about 30 points with his poor free throw shooting. If he just converts half of those and this series turns completely around. Just 5 more free throw makes this game and the Bucks may have won.

 

This is all on Giannis and he needs to get better at his free throw shooting.

 

Just please stop. He scores 2 more points today if he hits at his career norms.

 

I'm as frustrated as anyone with Giannis at the line in the playoffs but to watch this game and say it's "all" on him and his 5 for 10 FTs after watching a 27-3 Raptor run is just ridiculous.

 

 

It was Hill, the guy with all the experience not hitting one 3, it was Bled after a solid start playing tentatively, it was Mirotic playing so badly he was benched after he was a stud in the post-season last year(on the bright side, maybe that means they can get him back cheaper as I still think he can redeem himself).

 

 

Mostly though? It was the[sarcasm]injured[/sarcasm] Kawhi just being that much better than everyone else right now.

 

In fact, I'll go so far as to say after this series, when he plays hard(which is not all the time) he's the most talented all around player in the world right now. I'll take Giannis over him, but at this very moment, it's Kawhi if not Durant or even still LeBron.

 

The only thing this series showed us is that we elevated Giannis just a touch too soon. He was the best regular season player, but he didn't make it to the finals and win it in his first REAL run through the playoffs. That's hardly rare.

[pacopete4]

Did the Bucks make(shoot) a 3 in the 4th quarter?

[OnTheBlack]

The fact that a healthy Mirotic did not even see the court tonight speaks volumes about how much of a failure he turned out to be as a Buck.

 

 

It was. I'd still be in favor of bringing him back based on what he's done in the past, but no longer at the 12-15 per year range we were talking about.

 

 

 

Hell, if you want to put the series on someone, put it on Mirotic. He gave away so many possessions shooting off balance fade away three's with someone in his face which is NOT his game.

 

His game fits with this team when we're playing well, but that includes both Bled and Giannis getting to the hoop.

[OnTheBlack]

What’s the super team in the east to worry about? I don’t understand the concern.

 

 

There is none, we're just overly depressed because we blew a 2-0 lead and we'll be watching the Raptors in the finals.

 

Are there that many NBA fans on the board or just Bucks fans? Can’t say that I follow the NBA other than just passing interest in the Bucks. (This time of year is for Stanley Cup Playoff watching: a much better experience and sport.) Curious how many actually will watch the Finals without the Bucks in them.

 

 

I am. I liked watching the NHL finals when they had that little laser or whatever you want to call it on the puck so I could follow it closer and especially when the Pens were playing, but I'm as much of a bandwagon hockey fan as you can get. Very exciting though.

[adambr2]

Golden State will wipe their rears with Toronto in about 5 games, Kawhi will walk, and they won't be back anytime soon. Doesn't make me feel any better about this, though.

[OnTheBlack]

Did the Bucks make(shoot) a 3 in the 4th quarter?

 

 

I know Hill shot one....Middleton I thought shot one.

 

 

They got back in it with Giannis and Lopez getting second chance points.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

What a tough way to end a great season. Go up 2-0 in the conference final and then look like a deer in the headlights four straight games in a row. And Bud just falls asleep to seal the loss....yikes.

 

I mean I know one should be thrilled with the season overall. The way it ended is more a slap in the face to really sour it. They weren’t ready to play elite teams in the playoffs. They simply weren’t ready for the big stage when it got serious.

 

Idk man. One team gets out and we were 1/2. They went down 0-1 to a good a Boston team and crushed them. I think that was a big stage.

 

This does suck. But it really feels like a growing pain. That I got to see it coming alowly over a week gives a bit more perspective on the big picture. I can't think of a team that's gone from can't win a series to in the Finals.

 

Trouble is, like about the whole team is FA... crazy differentvteam potentially next year.

 

I don't really buy that. I think they did a nice job of bringing in role guys but nobody on that team is that great. It's Giannis and guys who can play but that's it. I mean yeah, Brogdon and Mids are good players but Giannis is the gas making this thing go. Part of this is replenishment too. There are guys on the roster with futures as productive players who don't play a whole lot now. There's always going to be turnover but in the NBA if you have a Giannis you're a top 3 seed.

 

They'll figure this out and have a very good team whether it's this group or a tweaked one. One thing I know is Giannis is hurting right now. He will take those missed FTs harder than anybody. He'll keep getting better and I'm so glad we have him.

[OnTheBlack]

Golden State will wipe their rears with Toronto in about 5 games, Kawhi will walk, and they won't be back anytime soon. Doesn't make me feel any better about this, though.

 

 

I think Golden State will win, but I don't think it's going to be as one sided as you do.

 

Green and AI2 are going to have to have big series.

 

Kawhi is going to make life miserable for Klay and Lowry isn't going to be able to check Steph, but he can make it tough on him.

 

Serge and Gasol will also make life tougher on them.

[lcbj68c]

Hell, if you want to put the series on someone, put it on Mirotic. He gave away so many possessions shooting off balance fade away three's with someone in his face which is NOT his game.

 

That matters?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I also doubt it would have made a difference, but I'm pretty ticked at Budd.

 

29 seconds left and a 3 point deficit and he's willing to burn 24 seconds of that to try to play D which is just mind-blowing because your literal best-case scenario is the same deficit with 5 seconds left and the Raptors having the ability to just immediately foul before you can even try to get a 3 off.

 

Foul immediately, worst case scenario you're down 5 with 29 seconds left, extend the game, get your shooters in there, find an open 3 and if you hit you cut it to 2 with still plenty of time left for something to happen.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

 

You're chances to win if you foul are probably....6-8 pct. Your chances if you DON'T foul have to be about 1 pct. You extend the game. I love what Bud did this year, but that was the dumbest thing I've seen since Giannis went for a layup instead of a 3 a few years ago with a few seconds left down 3. But he was 21 or 22 at the time, so hard to really fault him.

 

 

Call me a 1% idiot but I liked it. Those guys hit 90% of their throws. You're not achieving anything fouling and going down 4 with 20 seconds left. And that's if they miss which they likely won't You're still in miracle territory...and it worked!

 

If the Bucks grab that miss they're down three, call timeout, with 8 seconds left. You can't ask for better than that.

 

I was glad right away when I saw they were just gonna let it ride and hope to get a stop and a three. The endless foul fest hoping for multiple misses and multiple trips down the court, just hate watching it and don't think it really does anything.

[OnTheBlack]

 

Trouble is, like about the whole team is FA... crazy differentvteam potentially next year.

 

I don't really buy that. I think they did a nice job of bringing in role guys but nobody on that team is that great. It's Giannis and guys who can play but that's it. I mean yeah, Brogdon and Mids are good players but Giannis is the gas making this thing go. Part of this is replenishment too. There are guys on the roster with futures as productive players who don't play a whole lot now. There's always going to be turnover but in the NBA if you have a Giannis you're a top 3 seed.

 

They'll figure this out and have a very good team whether it's this group or a tweaked one. One thing I know is Giannis is hurting right now. He will take those missed FTs harder than anybody. He'll keep getting better and I'm so glad we have him.

 

 

I think they absolutely have to re-sign Middleton. Kawhi was on two guys, Middleton and Giannis, moreso on Middleton. They took him away and tried to make Giannis drive. Middleton isn't good enough to be able to score constantly on Kawhi, but if they don't have that second option, then I think the series is that much less competitive as Kawhi spends even more time on Giannis and or Brogdon or whoever.

 

Brogdon has to come back.

I was all about bringing Mirotic back, and I still would...but man was his finals awful.

 

But we have no clue what steps DDV, Sterling Brown, DJ Wilson will take next year.

 

I think Giannis DOES pretty much guarantee you a top 3 finish year in and year out at least, but I think you're better off bringing this team back and hoping you can find another talent somewhere else. Long shot to get one with that last 1st, but good players come from there.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Golden State will wipe their rears with Toronto in about 5 games, Kawhi will walk, and they won't be back anytime soon. Doesn't make me feel any better about this, though.

 

 

I think Golden State will win, but I don't think it's going to be as one sided as you do.

 

Green and AI2 are going to have to have big series.

 

Kawhi is going to make life miserable for Klay and Lowry isn't going to be able to check Steph, but he can make it tough on him.

 

Serge and Gasol will also make life tougher on them.

 

I think they'll get crushed. We dont have shooters half as good. Toronto's lane blocking won't save them when Steph and Klay are chucking bombs over it. If KD is able to play, LOL.

 

I'm biased. But I think a series with the Bucks would've been a lot more entertaining than the fart we're about to get.

[OnTheBlack]

 

Call me a 1% idiot but I liked it. Those guys hit 90% of their throws. You're not achieving anything fouling and going down 4 with 20 seconds left. And that's if they miss which they likely won't You're still in miracle territory...and it worked!

 

If the Bucks grab that miss they're down three, call timeout, with 8 seconds left. You can't ask for better than that.

 

I was glad right away when I saw they were just gonna let it ride and hope to get a stop and a three. The endless foul fest hoping for multiple misses and multiple trips down the court, just hate watching it and don't think it really does anything.

 

 

Yeah, I just feel better about extending the game. They shot roughly the same pct we shot from the FT line this game. And when Pascal got the ball, I was really hoping they'd foul him.

 

You're right, it worked, but they DID get the rebound, and that's another part of the risk you take. I take your point though.

 

I guess if Kawhi was REALLY as tired as the TNT guys keep claiming and as injured as he tried playing it off, you SHOULD feel good about him going to the line late. Of course I took all that with not a grain of salt, but a giant bag of it.

[OnTheBlack]

Golden State will wipe their rears with Toronto in about 5 games, Kawhi will walk, and they won't be back anytime soon. Doesn't make me feel any better about this, though.

 

 

I think Golden State will win, but I don't think it's going to be as one sided as you do.

 

Green and AI2 are going to have to have big series.

 

Kawhi is going to make life miserable for Klay and Lowry isn't going to be able to check Steph, but he can make it tough on him.

 

Serge and Gasol will also make life tougher on them.

 

I think they'll get crushed. We dont have shooters half as good. Toronto's lane blocking won't save them when Steph and Klay are chucking bombs over it. If KD is able to play, LOL.

 

I'm biased. But I think a series with the Bucks would've been a lot more entertaining than the fart we're about to get.

 

Well....I totally agree with you on that. They have a very good defender in Iggy, but no Kawhi. I think Giannis and the offense have a much easier time vs Golden State.

 

Curry is going to have to carry them though if they put Kawhi on Klay. He's not going to shut him down like he did Midds at time, but he's going to slow him down quite a bit. Green is better than Serge, but Serge can offer some resistance.

 

VanVleet is going to go back to choking.

[OnTheBlack]

Hell, if you want to put the series on someone, put it on Mirotic. He gave away so many possessions shooting off balance fade away three's with someone in his face which is NOT his game.

 

That matters?

 

 

That Mirotic missed 3 point shots? Yeah, it did.

 

 

Here's the thing though. I won't say that the Raptors shooting worse from 34 pct from 3 when they won game 4 by a blowout was the difference when the hit 35.7 pct in game one and lost.

 

I won't look at the stats and just ignore that they're reality. I also won't say Giannis missing 5 FT's cost us the series or any ONE thing did. Frankly, I think you'd have to be clueless about BB to think there was ONE single factor....save for MAYBE Kawhi and say, "this is why we lost the series." The Bucks defensive effort was NOT the problem whatsoever though.

 

 

The Bucks offensive execution WAS the problem. A lot of things go into that. The aforementioned Kawhi, Bledsoe not playing well, Giannis not having a great shot yet, etc..etc...NOT the Raptors 3 point shooting. At least not until the end of game 6, though you've been harping on this and NOTHING else since game 4 when it was that much more ridiculous.

 

And again, were you not the one who had the Bucks losing in 5 games to Boston? Just stop already.

[homer]

Bucks defense was more than fine. Their offense was horrible.

[adambr2]

I loved the things Budd did this year, but not managing to stop the bleeding after the Game 3 loss and dropping 4 straight with very few adjustments is not going to help his reputation as a regular season coach.

[adambr2]

We had a bunch of guys who played 'ok'. And that's the problem. Vanvleet and Lowry shot out of their minds as they have much of this series and we just didn't have anyone who matched it.

 

Giannis was ok. Middleton was ok. Brogdon was ok. Lopez was ok.

 

You're not getting to the Finals on the backs of a bunch of guys who were just ok.

[OnTheBlack]

Bucks defense was more than fine. Their offense was horrible.

 

 

The Bucks scored 100 points in regulation just once in the final four games. The game they lost by 22.

 

It was 100 pct the Bucks offense and absolutely NOT their defense.