Hornets at Bucks - Giannis out again (Tucker and Holiday also out)

The Bucks look like they might as well just forfeit the game tonight. All 5 starters and Tucker look like they won't play.

Tonight's Injury Update: Out: Giannis - Left Knee Soreness Donte - Right Hip Contusion Jrue - Left Knee Contusion PJ - Left Calf Strain Doubtful: Brook - Back Soreness Khris - Right Knee Soreness

Glad I don't have tickets for that game.

Is there anyone left?!?!?

Merrill 30 points, calling it now

Thannasty goes for a triple double...

The Bucks are playing Thanasis, Diakite, Forbes, Merril, and Toupane right now.

Not a single guy drafted in the first round. Bet that doesn't happen often.

Bucks losing contact. Now down 13. Too bad there isn't a mercy rule in the NBA. This is waste of time, but it's Bucks basketball so I'm still watching.

It seems like Bud is resting Connaughton as well. He's only played 5 of the first 14 minutes.

Down 11 at the half.

I still don't get the thinking here. 

We've got back-to-back games. The first is against a good team on the road that is playing their top guys. The second is at home is against what would normally be a decent team, but is missing their two best players.

So, you pick the second of the two games to sit everyone out? I just don't get it. They likely knew they weren't going to play most of these guys back-to-back anyway.

I guess I don’t know why this is happening... last night you played the starters, clearly gassed, all the way through the 4th quarter- but sit the whole fucking team tonight? Budenholzer is a fucking moron.

Even I'm giving up on this one. Down 19 going to the 4th. Conceding games when you are not the overwhelming #1 seed just bugs me. It's the difference between a 7th game at home in the second round or maybe a 4 game sweep instead of a 6 or 7 game slog in the first round.

@Music City posted:

I guess I don’t know why this is happening... last night you played the starters, clearly gassed, all the way through the 4th quarter- but sit the whole fucking team tonight? Budenholzer is a fucking moron.

I would bet that Horst has some say in a decision to sit this many guys.

I was off on the Merrill for 30, but Nwora had some numbers!

The thing we have learned this year is that they have a group of young players who are capable and could become something.

If Thanasis has the ability to irritate anyone, in a good way. Nwora has game. If they could get the game to slow down for Diakite, he could be a nice addition as well. The cupboard is NOT bare.

I don’t know what Merrill could be... he has to hit 3s at a Steve Kerr level to make me think he’s going to make it. 5/13 probably won’t cut it...

@Music City posted:

The thing we have learned this year is that they have a group of young players who are capable and could become something.

If Thanasis has the ability to irritate anyone, in a good way. Nwora has game. If they could get the game to slow down for Diakite, he could be a nice addition as well. The cupboard is NOT bare.

I don’t know what Merrill could be... he has to hit 3s at a Steve Kerr level to make me think he’s going to make it. 5/13 probably won’t cut it...

The playing time has revealed (or allowed Thanasis to develop) some nice moves around the basket. He's got some nice pump fakes, jump hooks, dropstep moves, and he can get to the rim on drives, too. It's not surprising he has that type of game since he's probably been playing one on one against Giannis from the beginning and he's learned to at least get shots up against him. I don't think he'll ever be a good enough shooter to be more than a Dellavadova type irritant in a playoff series, but he's a guy you bring in at the end of a quarter for a defense-only possession to get a weak defender out (Forbes, Lopez against a small-ball lineup, Teague) or to save the chance of a cheap foul against one of your stars. He's a really good defensive player.