Milwaukee Bucks 2019 - 20 Season Thread

[stalton]

I'm beginning to see a trend in Wisconsin sports fandom of seemingly more and more lack of confidence in the teams.

[GAME05]

Maybe it's just me, but I really haven't seen the Giannis Wall being implemented this year. I was really expecting every team to come out and use that against the Bucks in the regular season. But I guess Detroit and Boston tried that in the playoffs and they got stomped, so maybe it's one of those strategies which only works when you've got Kawai Leonard and other really good defenders on the team.

 

But even if it's a playoffs-only style of defense, Budenholzer undoubtedly spent months of the offseason planning against it.

[brwrsfan]

I'm beginning to see a trend in Wisconsin sports fandom of seemingly more and more lack of confidence in the teams.

 

I think that'll change if/when one of them actually wins a title. Feels like we've had many good teams over the last decade and keep coming up just short. It's great to make title games, conference finals, final fours, etc....but I really want to win one. Or two. Or three.

 

This Bucks team has a real shot - I'm more worried about the Lakers than anyone else. Not saying much there, but they could be exceptionally tough to beat in a 7 game series, especially with the Lebron whistles.

[FVBrewerFan]

Bucks look lost since being taken behind the woodshed by Philly.

 

The Bucks are on pace to go 70-12 halfway through the season which would be the third best record in NBA history. They have a point differential of a full 4 points better than the second best team in the NBA.

 

What do they need to do to impress you?

 

Even if they go undefeated the rest of the way there is going to be a segment of fans that is not convinced that this team can win in the post season until they see Giannis successfully defeat the Giannis wall.

 

I think it's a large segment, and I fall into that. They should have won it all last year, and didn't. So I will not be convinced they can do it until they actually DO it. They re the best team in the league again, and Giannis is the best player. With his improved 3PT shooting, he's even better this year.

 

But Giannis needs to play like the superstar he is in every series, and the team in general has to bring their A game. I don't like predictions, so I don't play that game. I could see them losing in the semis of the East or winning it all, and everything in between.

[jjfanec]

I am not sure what more the Bucks can do to impress people. They have one with Middleton and Bledsoe missing time. They have one of the best point differentials in the history of the NBA. It is almost 4 points higher than the Lakers and only 3 other teams are within 7 points. That is insane. And they do that with resting their starters a lot during games. Their bench is incredibly deep - Hill, Dante, Pat, Illy, Lopez, Korver, Brown, etc would win quite a few games. Adding Korver gives them another shooter to defeat a Giannis wall.

 

Could they be beat? For sure. But people should be able to appreciate just how good this team is right now.

[FVBrewerFan]

I am not sure what more the Bucks can do to impress people. They have one with Middleton and Bledsoe missing time. They have one of the best point differentials in the history of the NBA. It is almost 4 points higher than the Lakers and only 3 other teams are within 7 points. That is insane. And they do that with resting their starters a lot during games. Their bench is incredibly deep - Hill, Dante, Pat, Illy, Lopez, Korver, Brown, etc would win quite a few games. Adding Korver gives them another shooter to defeat a Giannis wall.

 

Could they be beat? For sure. But people should be able to appreciate just how good this team is right now.

 

I fully appreciate it, and enjoy watching every game. Because no matter what happens in the postseason this team is so fun to watch.

 

Last year they had the #1 or #2 offense and defense, depending on what metric you want to use. They didn't even make it to the finals, let alone win it all. They are dominant, but winning a playoff series against a really good team is so different than the regular season. We'll see if Giannis is ready to be king.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I think (again), there's a difference between being skeptical, and saying 'they look lost out there' or "they're really struggling" or some such stuff.

 

Bucks have one guy averaging more than 30 mpg (Giannis) and he's playing 31 mpg. THey got a bunch of role players playing a lot of time, and they're *still* playing historically good basketball.

 

If people want to be skeptical, I mean, that's their right. This Bucks isn't the Glenn Robinson Bucks. Giannis and Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez didn't do anything to earn that doubt.... but I understand it. They made a deep run last year, and came up short. Hopefully they learned from it, as great teams often and usually do.

 

But, if someone's looking at a 36-6 team with a historically good ppg differential and a top 5 offense and defensive and saying "I think this team has issues/holes/concerns" or anything else, is just basing that on historical scorn because the team hasn't won a title since 71.

[jjfanec]

After seeing the Lakers lose to the Magic last night, Boston lose to the Pistons, it gives me even more appreciation for what the Bucks have done. They only have one remotely bad loss and that is on the road to the Spurs. The other 5 losses are to teams who are 6 seeds are higher. They show up every night and win pretty handily - they have something like 4 wins by 5 points or less. So 32 wins by 6 points or more! That is ridiculous. Rarely are games coming down to the last 30 seconds. It might be good to get a few more of those tests before the playoffs.

 

Big game against Boston tonight. Win tonight they have an 8.5 game lead over the Celtics who are really the only team who have the talent, coaching, and consistency to come close to catching the Bucks. The Heat are terrible on the road, Philly isnt consistent, Toronto just cant stay healthy, etc.

[adambr2]

From an East standings point of view I don't think any one game is very important. No one is catching the Bucks in the East. Even if we only closed out the season at 24-16 which would be a big swoon we would still win 60 games and I don't think anyone in the East is going to touch that. It is potentially important to finish with a better record than every West team though.

 

As far as the Celtics themselves go I'll be more curious to see how we match up this time against a potential playoff opponent that we lost to earlier this season.

[brwrsfan]

From an East standings point of view I don't think any one game is very important. No one is catching the Bucks in the East. Even if we only closed out the season at 24-16 which would be a big swoon we would still win 60 games and I don't think anyone in the East is going to touch that. It is potentially important to finish with a better record than every West team though.

 

As far as the Celtics themselves go I'll be more curious to see how we match up this time against a potential playoff opponent that we lost to earlier this season.

 

I agree, we aren't losing the East barring a massive slew of injuries or something - though staying in front of the Lakers could be huge. The Bucks did lost to Boston very early this season, but if I'm remembering correctly, the Bucks were up 20 at one point in the game and it was on the road. I think the Bucks were still feeling out how to play together with the new pieces (also blew the big lead to Miami at home). I'll be at the game tonight, I hope the crowd is jacked. One game means nothing, but it's one for some reason I really want them to win.

[nate82]

Boston looked like a JV team playing the varsity team during the first half.

[DuWayne Steurer]

12 of 15 fom 3 for the half. I almost kind of feel like the Bucks should have a bigger lead.

[adambr2]

12 of 15 fom 3 for the half. I almost kind of feel like the Bucks should have a bigger lead.

 

It would be good if they did, since they've had a 27 point lead now whittled down to single digits.

[adambr2]

Seem to have survived the C's big rally. Hopefully they won't be threatened much in the 4th.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Bucks squashed that quick. Celtics were gonna make a run. I wasn't worried.

[adambr2]

Feels like Middleton is a turnover waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.

[adambr2]

That was not a particularly impressive game at home against a Celtics team playing their second game of a back to back. Blew a huge lead with tons of missed free throws and a lot of poor defense. An insane performance from 3 in the first half is the only reason we walked out with a win. 80% from 3 is not going to happen again.

 

A win is a win but it's definitely a moral victory for Boston. They're feeling pretty good right now about their ability to compete with us in a 7 game series.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Feels like Middleton is a turnover waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.

 

 

Middleton had 2 turnovers tonight, and averages 2.5 to's per 36 minutes.

[adambr2]

Feels like Middleton is a turnover waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.

 

 

Middleton had 2 turnovers tonight, and averages 2.5 to's per 36 minutes.

 

I know, he's fine. It's a personal bias, I'm sure.

 

You can't judge a SG on turnovers the way you would judge a PG or even Giannis, though, he just doesn't handle the ball nearly as much.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Feels like Middleton is a turnover waiting to happen every time he touches the ball.

 

 

Middleton had 2 turnovers tonight, and averages 2.5 to's per 36 minutes.

 

I know, he's fine. It's a personal bias, I'm sure.

 

You can't judge a SG on turnovers the way you would judge a PG or even Giannis, though, he just doesn't handle the ball nearly as much.

 

I don't honestly understand the amount of criticism the guy gets on here. He's fat, he's a turnover machine, he plays crappy defense, and yet his numbers and advanced numbers all say he's actually a pretty solid player.

 

I get it, he's overpaid for what he does. And everything indicates that the ownership team and GM fully, completely understood that part of what they were paying him for was to keep Giannis happy. if G stays, then it was 100% worth it. We're on pace to win 70 games, so as the 2nd fiddle to the best player, he must be doing something right. I just don't get all the flack the guy gets. *shrug*

[adambr2]

FWIW I said as soon as they signed Middelton that it was worth it if it keeps Giannis around.

 

He's okay. I hope he is the key to keeping Giannis.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

That is unfortunately just the way a lot of Wisconsin sports fans are. They are conditioned to find fault and overemphasize the negative. It is a defense mechanism in a way that somewhat insulates them against disappointment if the team doesn't win a championship.

[adambr2]

That is unfortunately just the way a lot of Wisconsin sports fans are. They are conditioned to find fault and overemphasize the negative. It is a defense mechanism in a way that somewhat insulates them against disappointment if the team doesn't win a championship.

 

Yeah that's not what Middleton criticism is at all. Thinking Middleton is not necessarily the 2nd best player on the team and somewhat overpayed at 35M per is a defense mechanism in case they don't win an NBA title? Okay.

[adambr2]

Also, I do think Middleton played well tonight. He usually does against Boston.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

That is unfortunately just the way a lot of Wisconsin sports fans are. They are conditioned to find fault and overemphasize the negative. It is a defense mechanism in a way that somewhat insulates them against disappointment if the team doesn't win a championship.

 

Yeah that's not what Middleton criticism is at all. Thinking Middleton is not necessarily the 2nd best player on the team and somewhat overpayed at 35M per is a defense mechanism in case they don't win an NBA title? Okay.

 

That wasn't necessarily directed at you. More of a general observation. You certainly aren't the only one with that sort of criticism lately. It's the same as many fans of the Packers and Brewers. If you buy in completely, then it hurts more when they disappoint. Which is totally fine ... there is no right or wrong way to be a fan.