Bucks vs. Heat Game 2

I think what we have witnessed and how we are reacting sums up everything very well in that right now this team is at the crossroads.

Either they will channel all the negativity and frustration and flip the proverbial switch or they will cave to the pressure and exit the playoffs early and head into an offseason in complete disarray. 

From my point of view, I never questioned Giannis until this series.   Last year v Toronto we can chalk up to them having Kahwi and quite honestly Fred Van Vleet being unconscious for 3-4 games.   In other words, a bit fluky but explainable and understandable.   This year?  Versus Miami?  No explanation.  He looks lost and isn’t playing with confidence.  Perhaps the bubble is the problem.  Perhaps it’s his pending free agency.  I don’t know.  But it’s shocking just how ordinary he’s looked for a guy that is probably top 5 in the league and it’s really making me question and wonder if they should keep him or trade him?  I mean, what if he doesn’t get any better than this?   He’s still a fantastic talent.  But the mark of a truly great player is how they perform in crunch time.  Right now he doesn’t have a good playoff resume or legacy at all.

It’s pretty amazing when you rewind back to the beginning of the season and we all thought it would be Philly and Milwaukee battling it out in the East.  If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Sixers are even more disappointing and fucked up than Milwaukee. 

Which leads me to my next point.  If the Bucks were going to make a deal and Golden State would be the most logical suitor what would it take to get Giannis? 
Well, just about any deal would have to include the Warriors 2nd overall pick in the 2020 draft.   And while they probably wouldn’t like it I’d want Klay Thompson also in return.  I don’t think Golden State would throw in their 2021 pick from the Wolves but if they did (it’s top 3 protected) I think you make that trade. 

@Tschmack posted:

I think what we have witnessed and how we are reacting sums up everything very well in that right now this team is at the crossroads.

Either they will channel all the negativity and frustration and flip the proverbial switch or they will cave to the pressure and exit the playoffs early and head into an offseason in complete disarray. 

From my point of view, I never questioned Giannis until this series.   Last year v Toronto we can chalk up to them having Kahwi and quite honestly Fred Van Vleet being unconscious for 3-4 games.   In other words, a bit fluky but explainable and understandable.   This year?  Versus Miami?  No explanation.  He looks lost and isn’t playing with confidence.  Perhaps the bubble is the problem.  Perhaps it’s his pending free agency.  I don’t know.  But it’s shocking just how ordinary he’s looked for a guy that is probably top 5 in the league and it’s really making me question and wonder if they should keep him or trade him?  I mean, what if he doesn’t get any better than this?   He’s still a fantastic talent.  But the mark of a truly great player is how they perform in crunch time.  Right now he doesn’t have a good playoff resume or legacy at all.

It’s pretty amazing when you rewind back to the beginning of the season and we all thought it would be Philly and Milwaukee battling it out in the East.  If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Sixers are even more disappointing and fucked up than Milwaukee. 

Which leads me to my next point.  If the Bucks were going to make a deal and Golden State would be the most logical suitor what would it take to get Giannis? 
Well, just about any deal would have to include the Warriors 2nd overall pick in the 2020 draft.   And while they probably wouldn’t like it I’d want Klay Thompson also in return.  I don’t think Golden State would throw in their 2021 pick from the Wolves but if they did (it’s top 3 protected) I think you make that trade. 

The Warriors are rumored to want to include Draymond Green (you can't really play them together since it would ruin their spacing). He'd be a disaster on that contract. 

Wiggins is essentially a middle-class version of Jabari Parker that actually can play some level of defense. I saw someone describe his statistics as "empty calories." I wouldn't even consider trading Middleton for him and I'm not sure I'd flip Bledsoe for him if I was the Bucks. 

If you lose Giannis, the Bucks are not competing for a championship any time soon. The only way to get comparable value and stay at the elite level of competitors would be to flip him to the Sixers for either Embiid or Simmons. The Sixers will be similarly desperate to the Bucks (if Giannis doesn't sign the Super-max). 

Giannis for Wiggins and a couple of high draft picks from the Warriors? No thanks. 

Giannis for Adebayo and Tyler Herro and some picks? No thanks. 

That's the kind of offers you are going to get. 

Vultures circling. If any of this is real (basically that Giannis is already looking for his next team), it might explain a lot about how disjointed the Bucks have looked since the bubble started. 

Maybe it's all BS, but there's a lot of smoke right now. 

https://nypost.com/2020/09/03/...-likes-heat-raptors/

Wiggins is a lesser version of Middleton.  Piles up gaudy stats in garbage time but doesn’t consistently play at a high level when it really matters.  If we think having Middleton and his contract is a problem then adding Wiggins would double your pleasure.  No thanks even if Golden State threw in their two 1s. 

At the end of the day whoever trades for Giannis is going to trade away most of their team and then where will that team be?  Warriors would need to include Thompson and picks.  The Warriors will have major issues with the salary cap.  It's very complicated.  Green is a waste at his salary and doesn't fit with Giannis.  Wiggins is also pretty much useless.  We don't want either of those two.

Not sure what other teams can offer but I can't see Giannis heading to the team that beat him (Miami, Toronto last year).  It's not in his DNA.  He doesn't even like to train with guys from other teams.  I thought Toronto would be an option but Siakam shit the bed in the playoffs and they are a shell of themselves.

Giannis has been exposed as an amazing player that can not operate offensively in the half court offense.  He also can't shoot free throws.  When Jordan was getting hammered at the rim by the Pistons he decided to work on his jump shot and became simply unstoppable.  Even if he works 24/7, I don't think Giannis will ever have a reliable jump shot.  He just isn't a shooter.  I really can't blame his supporting cast for the failures of this team.  I think he will look in the mirror and admit that.  Wondering what Horst can do to improve the Bucks if Giannis stays.

@The Crusher posted:

At the end of the day whoever trades for Giannis is going to trade away most of their team and then where will that team be?  Warriors would need to include Thompson and picks.  The Warriors will have major issues with the salary cap.  It's very complicated.  Green is a waste at his salary and doesn't fit with Giannis.  Wiggins is also pretty much useless.  We don't want either of those two.

Not sure what other teams can offer but I can't see Giannis heading to the team that beat him (Miami, Toronto last year).  It's not in his DNA.  He doesn't even like to train with guys from other teams.  I thought Toronto would be an option but Siakam shit the bed in the playoffs and they are a shell of themselves.

Giannis has been exposed as an amazing player that can not operate offensively in the half court offense.  He also can't shoot free throws.  When Jordan was getting hammered at the rim by the Pistons he decided to work on his jump shot and became simply unstoppable.  Even if he works 24/7, I don't think Giannis will ever have a reliable jump shot.  He just isn't a shooter.  I really can't blame his supporting cast for the failures of this team.  I think he will look in the mirror and admit that.  Wondering what Horst can do to improve the Bucks if Giannis stays.

They need a guy like Terrence Ross. A guy that might be a little limited on the defensive end, but can give you instant offense in the halfcourt. That player was supposed to be DDV, but as I said during the game chat after seeing DDV in the playoffs I think he's more likely to be out of the league in 2 years than a starter.  That makes Bledsoe even more important since you can't play any guards other than Hill right now. 

For as much as Giannis has been exposed again in the half-court offense, the thing that's really killed them is the guard rotations off the bench. George Hill has been fine. Middleton, Bledsoe, Lopez, and Matthews have been good enough to win with. The Bucks have a positive +/- in the series with Korver on the floor (+7 in 26 minutes) and even Marvin Williams has been a good enough stop-gap (-6 in 43 minutes). 

But DDV and Connaughton have been abused and that's what's really killed them. In the series, Pat Connaugton is -26 in 37 minutes and DDV is -11 in 22 minutes.  Especially when you consider they are playing against the Heat reserves a lot of the time, that's unbelievably atrocious. 

Of course, Giannis could overcome this, but the Bucks have actually played better when he's sat. In Giannis 73 minutes in this series, the Bucks are -21.  In the 23 minutes he hasn't played, they are +8. 

In contrast, Middleton looks great by those stats. The Bucks were +18 in Middleton's 33 minutes last night and -20 in the 15 minutes he sat.  The difference is that when you run offense in the halfcourt through Middleton you at least have a chance of him hitting a contested jumper. Giannis ends up putting up 10 foot fadeaways if he doesn't get to the rim. I think they are to the point they shouldn't run any offense in the half-court with Giannis initiating at the top. In the halfcourt, you almost have to use him like Clint Capela - a finisher with lobs at the rim and as an offensive rebounding threat. 

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

Vultures circling. If any of this is real (basically that Giannis is already looking for his next team), it might explain a lot about how disjointed the Bucks have looked since the bubble started. 

Maybe it's all BS, but there's a lot of smoke right now. 

https://nypost.com/2020/09/03/...-likes-heat-raptors/

 

Uhhhg... that article is a pile of speculative bullshit. “A source says...”- good grief it’s fucking shameless. 

The guys that are not going to allow him to leave are Wes Edens and Marc Lasry (and others, including Aaron Rodgers). Right now they’re about $500M in the black on their investment... Giannis goes anywhere, they lose most of that. And they just dropped a few hundred mil on the Deer District. The place is jammin when the Bucks are playing. If they lose that, the whole thing comes apart. The City of Milwaukee, the state, the county... all have a political stake in this. And that’s before you get to Giannis.

Once you get to the topic of him, it’s a simple equation- he doesn’t seek the bright lights of NYC or LA. He enjoys the pseudo-anonymity he gets by calling Milwaukee home. He's stated that he values loyalty, integrity, and trust. He’s no hypocrite, and he doesn’t have a Clutch Rep whispering in his ear. 

He’s not going anywhere...

Can they buy him a mid-range jumper?

Nope... gotta get that one on his own.

@Music City posted:

Uhhhg... that article is a pile of speculative bullshit. “A source says...”- good grief it’s fucking shameless. 

The guys that are not going to allow him to leave are Wes Edens and Marc Lasry (and others, including Aaron Rodgers). Right now they’re about $500M in the black on their investment... Giannis goes anywhere, they lose most of that. And they just dropped a few hundred mil on the Deer District. The place is jammin when the Bucks are playing. If they lose that, the whole thing comes apart. The City of Milwaukee, the state, the county... all have a political stake in this. And that’s before you get to Giannis.

Once you get to the topic of him, it’s a simple equation- he doesn’t seek the bright lights of NYC or LA. He enjoys the pseudo-anonymity he gets by calling Milwaukee home. He's stated that he values loyalty, integrity, and trust. He’s no hypocrite, and he doesn’t have a Clutch Rep whispering in his ear. 

He’s not going anywhere...

I hope you're right. As I've said before, I rather cheer for a team that isn't a glorified AAU team put together by a couple of superstars and their agents even if they never win a title. If you are a fan of the current Clippers or Lakers, the Durant-Warriors, the Kawhi- Raptors, the Lebron-Heat teams, the KG-Ray Allen-Celtics, you are really just cheering for laundry. The first Warrior title with Steph was the most impressive because all the key pieces were homegrown.  The best title in the last decade or so from a fan perspective was seeing Dirk win one in Dallas. 

Was John Stockton not as good as Isiah Thomas or Jason Kidd because he never won a title? Charles Barkley not as good as Scottie Pippen? Patrick Ewing? Steve Nash? Chris Paul? The whole narrative that if you don't win a title you are a complete failure has really gotten out of hand. 

The problem is that we don't really know who's whispering in his ear. Is his family sick of the cold weather? Does his wife want to move closer to her family? Does he want to live in a city with a more European, cosmopolitan flavor (Toronto)? 

@Blair Kiel posted:

Can they buy him a mid-range jumper?

He doesn't even need that. A jump hook from 6-8 feet would be unblockable and he could get that in the half-court every time down the court. 

Lasry and Edens aren’t stupid though either.  They already got the stadium and it’s fun to go to Bucks games.  They will draw as long as they are competitive, just like the Brewers. 

What cannot happen is Giannis leaves and they get nothing in return. That would be a disaster. 

But as someone said you have a limited number of teams that could facilitate a trade.  Golden State would certainly be in play.  Boston and Philly could be in play. Boston because they could offer a Jaylen Brown + someone else and have multiple draft picks albeit none in the top 10.  Philly because they have Simmons and Embiid and Tobias Harris combinations that could come back in return. 

Golden State still makes the most sense because that 2nd overall pick this year could become valuable and they should have a high pick next year from Minnesota assuming the Wolves don’t land in the top 3.   But the player back would have to be Klay Thompson.   Wiggins and Green wouldn’t make sense.  Thompson would.  And let’s say the Bucks got James Wiseman.   Not a bad haul especially considering they get another 1st the following year. 

@Tschmack posted:

Lasry and Edens aren’t stupid though either.  They already got the stadium and it’s fun to go to Bucks games.  They will draw as long as they are competitive, just like the Brewers. 

What cannot happen is Giannis leaves and they get nothing in return. That would be a disaster. 

But as someone said you have a limited number of teams that could facilitate a trade.  Golden State would certainly be in play.  Boston and Philly could be in play. Boston because they could offer a Jaylen Brown + someone else and have multiple draft picks albeit none in the top 10.  Philly because they have Simmons and Embiid and Tobias Harris combinations that could come back in return. 

Golden State still makes the most sense because that 2nd overall pick this year could become valuable and they should have a high pick next year from Minnesota assuming the Wolves don’t land in the top 3.   But the player back would have to be Klay Thompson.   Wiggins and Green wouldn’t make sense.  Thompson would.  And let’s say the Bucks got James Wiseman.   Not a bad haul especially considering they get another 1st the following year. 

The problem with Klay Thompson is that he's basically Khris Middleton on steroids. Don't get me wrong, Klay is a lot better player and a future HOFer. He's a better shooter (on par with anyone in history) and a better defender. However, Middleton is an exceptionally good shooter and a plus defender as well. However, Klay, just like Khris, is not a guy you want handling the ball in the half-court.  He might be the best catch and shoot guy in history, but you need motion and ball movement to open his shot up. The classic Klay Thompson game is when he scored 60 points while taking 11 dribbles. 

https://www.sportscasting.com/...ints-on-11-dribbles/

Klay Thompson is the best number 3 option in history, but Khris Middleton would have looked pretty good too the last few years shooting wide-open looks created by Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. 

It's fun to speculate.  Lets see how the rest of the series and playoffs go.  Teams can come back, this is a pretty good outfit.  It's not like they were blown out last nite, this could easily be tied right now.

Win tomorrow and I suspect the bandwagon will be boarding again.

It could happen.  

The guy that needs a little more “prove it” is Budenholzer. There’s growing momentum to the idea that he’s getting out coached... again. That the system works until the playoffs, but then can be had because Bud’s not going to change- and that means you can beat him with his own stubbornness.

And the fact that the Bucks don’t appear to know what to do when Miami executes some plan, especially offensively. The Bucks are 5-out, or 4-down with a high P&R. That’s it.

The Bucks are unprepared for what Miami is doing, hence the turnovers and the scoring droughts. If Lebron was on this team, Budenholzer would be under a lot more pressure. 

I do think it’s time to take a look at Ersan.  He’s got the size and strength to stick with guys like Bam and Crowder and his ability to step out and shoot should open up things underneath.  Same thing with Korver.  He can’t defend, but he can’t be left alone either.  Right now, other than Middleton and at times Lopez no one fears the Bucks outside shooters.   So just pack the paint and shut off the dribble drives or get physical on the Bucks guards and force turnovers.  You start hitting shots you will pull them away from underneath the basket. 

Pat C and DDV were so good during the season but have been non factors in the playoffs.  I’d give them both a rest.

The one big positive was Wes Matthews on D.  He did a nice job on Butler.  

@Music City posted:

The guy that needs a little more “prove it” is Budenholzer. There’s growing momentum to the idea that he’s getting out coached... again. That the system works until the playoffs, but then can be had because Bud’s not going to change- and that means you can beat him with his own stubbornness.

And the fact that the Bucks don’t appear to know what to do when Miami executes some plan, especially offensively. The Bucks are 5-out, or 4-down with a high P&R. That’s it.

The Bucks are unprepared for what Miami is doing, hence the turnovers and the scoring droughts. If Lebron was on this team, Budenholzer would be under a lot more pressure. 

LeBron was a lot better half-court player at the same stage of his career than Giannis is right now. I mean, Lebron is a top 10 player all-time so there's no shame in saying that he was better than Giannis at 25, but Lebron was much more of threat from mid-range.  

I agree on Bud. You knew after the Toronto series last year that teams with playoff-caliber defenses were going to replicate what Toronto did.  Bud's attitude seems to be we'll just get better at what we do and we don't need to change anything. It's basically like Mike McCarthy lining up a bunch of WRs and expecting them to get open. The system is basically unstoppable if your guys are better than their guys, but when it evens up and you need some sort of scheme to get guys easier shots they appear to have nothing other than getting Middleton the ball on the side and letting him back his guy down. 

@Tschmack posted:

I do think it’s time to take a look at Ersan.  He’s got the size and strength to stick with guys like Bam and Crowder and his ability to step out and shoot should open up things underneath.  Same thing with Korver.  He can’t defend, but he can’t be left alone either.  Right now, other than Middleton and at times Lopez no one fears the Bucks outside shooters.   So just pack the paint and shut off the dribble drives or get physical on the Bucks guards and force turnovers.  You start hitting shots you will pull them away from underneath the basket. 

Pat C and DDV were so good during the season but have been non factors in the playoffs.  I’d give them both a rest.

The one big positive was Wes Matthews on D.  He did a nice job on Butler.  

I don't think Ersan can stay with those guys on defense. They'll go after him in pick and roll and shoot an endless stream of open 3s. 

The guy I think Bud should consider is Sterling Brown. He's a big, strong defender who can muscle up to Jimmy Butler when Matthews sits. Sterling is also a better fit for a half-court slugfest than DDV or Connaughton. Sterling is a better finisher at the rim in terms of being to absorb contact and get a shot off. DDV, Connaughton, and George Hill are all finesse types (although Hill has played well). All year, DDV seems to make a play or two every game where he makes a great move to beat a guy off the dribble, takes it all the way to the rim, and struggles to finish the play. He ends up missing the layup which seems to turn into a fast break in the other direction. 

Is Sterling Brown deep in the doghouse or something? They ran Frank Mason out there for 2 minutes in Game 1 instead of Sterling. What possible basis for that would they have? I guess Mason is a point guard, but come on. 

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

The problem with Klay Thompson is that he's basically Khris Middleton on steroids. Don't get me wrong, Klay is a lot better player and a future HOFer. He's a better shooter (on par with anyone in history) and a better defender. However, Middleton is an exceptionally good shooter and a plus defender as well. However, Klay, just like Khris, is not a guy you want handling the ball in the half-court.  He might be the best catch and shoot guy in history, but you need motion and ball movement to open his shot up. The classic Klay Thompson game is when he scored 60 points while taking 11 dribbles. 

https://www.sportscasting.com/...ints-on-11-dribbles/

Klay Thompson is the best number 3 option in history, but Khris Middleton would have looked pretty good too the last few years shooting wide-open looks created by Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. 

I agree with all of this but the Warriors will never move Curry and I wouldn't want Green or Wiggins.  

The elephant in the room in all this is that it's very likely that Giannis' game is not going to age well. He relies completely on his unbelievable athleticism right now. He has no outside shot and has not developed post moves or mid-range game.  Without either of those, when he loses a step he could become just a very good to average player very quickly.  He'll be 26 in December. He's still young but he'll no longer be the 22 year old with endless potential, and he's not a guy that can afford to get dinged up and still be effective. Without at least developing some fraction of a Tim Duncan-like midrange/post game, he's going to struggle.

Guys like Steph Curry, 39-year-old Kyle Korver, Klay Thompson, and even Khris Middleton will maintain some level of effectiveness because they can shoot. They'll age into roles that aren't superstar level, but still be very valuable contributors. I think you could sign Ray Allen right now at age 45 and put him out there for an offensive possession at the end of a game and feel good.

Guys like Embiid, Tim Duncan, Anthony Davis, LeBron, and Kawhi will maintain effectiveness because they'll still have mid-range/post games that don't rely entirely on just jumping above everyone. What's Giannis going to do when he can't outrun and outjump everyone? I really thought he'd come back this year after last year's Raptors series and have a go-to post/mid-range move. He likely worked hard at it, but when the pressure hit he has no confidence in it. Some of this is on Bud. They should have put Giannis out there in some of these 4th quarters were they were winning by double digits and just fed him the ball in the 10-15 foot range and had him work on these shots in game situations. 

Ideally, Giannis signs the SuperMax and lead the Bucks to a title in the next 2-3 years. When he hits his 30s, he then turns into a Tim Duncan like contributor and ends his career with the Bucks as the elder statesman. He essentially becomes the Milwaukee Bucks. He's Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller, John Stockton. 

My worry is that he'll become Chris Webber, Amare Stoudamire, or Dwight Howard. Once his explosiveness diminishes, he'll have no backup. Draymond Green is going to be the same way, which is why we don't want him back in a potential Warriors-Giannis trade. 

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

The elephant in the room in all this is that it's very likely that Giannis' game is not going to age well. He relies completely on his unbelievable athleticism right now. He has no outside shot and has not developed post moves or mid-range game.  Without either of those, when he loses a step he could become just a very good to average player very quickly.  He'll be 26 in December. He's still young but he'll no longer be the 22 year old with endless potential, and he's not a guy that can afford to get dinged up and still be effective. Without at least developing some fraction of a Tim Duncan-like midrange/post game, he's going to struggle.

Guys like Steph Curry, 39-year-old Kyle Korver, Klay Thompson, and even Khris Middleton will maintain some level of effectiveness because they can shoot. They'll age into roles that aren't superstar level, but still be very valuable contributors. I think you could sign Ray Allen right now at age 45 and put him out there for an offensive possession at the end of a game and feel good.

Guys like Embiid, Tim Duncan, Anthony Davis, LeBron, and Kawhi will maintain effectiveness because they'll still have mid-range/post games that don't rely entirely on just jumping above everyone. What's Giannis going to do when he can't outrun and outjump everyone? I really thought he'd come back this year after last year's Raptors series and have a go-to post/mid-range move. He likely worked hard at it, but when the pressure hit he has no confidence in it. Some of this is on Bud. They should have put Giannis out there in some of these 4th quarters were they were winning by double digits and just fed him the ball in the 10-15 foot range and had him work on these shots in game situations. 

Ideally, Giannis signs the SuperMax and lead the Bucks to a title in the next 2-3 years. When he hits his 30s, he then turns into a Tim Duncan like contributor and ends his career with the Bucks as the elder statesman. He essentially becomes the Milwaukee Bucks. He's Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller, John Stockton. 

My worry is that he'll become Chris Webber, Amare Stoudamire, or Dwight Howard. Once his explosiveness diminishes, he'll have no backup. Draymond Green is going to be the same way, which is why we don't want him back in a potential Warriors-Giannis trade. 

Excellent analysis.  Giannis obviously put most of his work into his 3 point shot, which is improved.  I am surprised he didn't work on his post moves more.  If I was his coach, I would tell him to work on ONLY these in the off season...free throws, post moves/mid-range jump shot, half court offense.  He has mastered the run and gun up and down game and it is now time for him to round out his game.  I know he will work at it but hard work doesn't necessarily mean he will ever be a reliable shooter.

I have been saying that for years- I don’t care about the 3. And anyone who knows shooting in basketball, you can’t just get good at shooting 3s and be a good shooter. Shooting starts from close and works it’s way out. That how you build the muscle memory needed to have the ability to subtly change the force to shoot from various ranges. For me, it was free throws. That was where everything started. Then worked it around the paint- used to play around the world incessantly as a kid. Then Mikan drills. Then as that form got comfortable, expand it. The three point shot was the LAST piece of the puzzle. 

So I think that is what Giannis needs to do. 1000 shots a day. No threes. Just muscle memory. 

For the Bucks... this is two things: Budenholzer, and their lack of focus on basketball. To beat the Heat, they were presented with a problem- Spoelstra has studied how to counter the Bucks plan. He’s schooling Budenholzer and he’s taking advantage of having the smarter team. Maybe the Heat are the only ones to figure it out since they’re they ones this year to beat the Bucks multiple times. 

Their lack of focus as a team has been evident from the moment play resumed. They thought they could “turn it on”. Every player has been guilty, including Giannis- and when they boycotted the game the rest of the team lost their edge. Guys like Jimmy Butler are focused. The top players are focused- their quest is on the court.

The truth is that the Bucks were distracted- then expected to be able to turn it on. They couldn’t. They didn’t. Now they’re down 3-0. And maybe... just maybe... they’ll realize that when you’re an athlete, your job is to win. The pursuit of greatness is through your accomplishments on the field/court/arena. You’re not a thought leader. Your perceived platform isn’t important- doesn’t exist- unless you win. That meritocracy has always been the backbone of athletics. if you lose focus on winning, you don’t get money, a brand, a platform, legacy... none of it. 

The Bucks failure is deserved. They lost focus. Self inflicted or not, focus is always at the foundation of championship play. 

The edge wasn’t there well before the boycott. 

Anyone that watched their games from the start of bubble play saw a sloppy, disorganized mess on offense and a very porous and lazy and soft team playing defense.  Coach Bud did the same thing.  He was using and playing guys like preseason and when it came time for the playoffs it honestly was just more of the same. 

This doesn’t even resemble the same team from March and it’s not just Giannis.  I mean, Pat C and DDV looked decent during the regular season as subs and other than George Hill the entire bench has been garbage.  Ersan and Rolo were forgotten altogether.  

It’s shocking just how bad this team looks right now.  Clearly they don’t want to be there and their body language speaks volumes.  Maybe after the boycott they were expecting the teams to shut it down who knows?  All I know is they’ve already quit.  It’s laughable that Giannis has the nerve to suggest they could rattle off 4 in a row.   Miami has the eye of the tiger and wouldn’t be surprised if they blow out the Bucks in game 4.  That’s a lot more realistic at this point.