The Home Stretch

I was not pleased to see the Spurs have a chance to tie in their final possession.   Bucks were in complete control until they weren’t. 

Washington is fading fast and Miami is right on the Bucks heels.   The best case scenario is for Milwaukee to stay in the 7 slot and play a banged up Boston team.   If they get the 8 seed they play Toronto and if they get the 6 seed they play Cleveland.  Both terrible matchups IMO. 

The west is a mess- and Denver and the Clippers are fighting for their lives. Those will not be easy games. GS might be resting guys from here in, and they’re  without Curry. Utah pounded them yesterday.

The Bucks could finish anywhere from 42-46 wins.  

As Tscmack said, the #7 seed is the best matchup to start the playoffs. The Celtics without Kyrie are a very different team.

Bucks give up 18 points in the first 4 minutes against the Clippers.

An absolutely predictable finish. They have a great 3rd quarter, build up a 4 point lead after being behind the whole game, and they go to sleep in the fourth.  27-16, and they become a bumbling band of circus clowns during a 15-6 run that catapults the Clippers to victory. 

Its a broken record. They just cannot find consistency. They play well, then come apart. They can’t get stops and they let Austin fuc*ing Rivers take over down the stretch. 

Parker with one of his worst games as a pro. 1-12 and 2 turnovers. Tony Snell 7 minutes, 4 points. That vaunted Bucks bench outscored 39-18. 

The Bucks play the Warriors on Thursday with Green and Durant both back. The Warriors starting lineup last night (Pachulia, Bell, Young, McCaw, and Young) would be the worst starting lineup in the league and is like getting a bye if they got to play them.

The Bucks have a big question to answer... is Jabari Parker worth the money he will get? Is he getting better? Is there any indication he’s going to be an All Star level player?

Two games really jump out... that Bulls game, where he scored 6 points and never looked comfortable at all while the Bucks bench basically won the game without Giannis. That is your “other star” to pair with Giannis for a bright and Championship future? And last night... 1-12. Completely lost. Does this happen to “star players”? You want a max deal, and you play like this in an NBA game? There are so many questions to answer, but this may be the biggest.

Thon Maker is another. He has obvious talent- but is he a C? If he played PF and got stronger, wouldn’t he be a more productive asset? 

Kemba Walker wants out of Charlotte... Dwight Howard has an expiring deal. Middleton, Parker (sign and trade), and Bledsoe for Walker, Howard, and Batum (2 years + a player option left at $23M per). 

I'm just going to leave this here.

Music City posted:

The Bucks have a big question to answer... is Jabari Parker worth the money he will get? Is he getting better? Is there any indication he’s going to be an All Star level player?

Two games really jump out... that Bulls game, where he scored 6 points and never looked comfortable at all while the Bucks bench basically won the game without Giannis. That is your “other star” to pair with Giannis for a bright and Championship future? And last night... 1-12. Completely lost. Does this happen to “star players”? You want a max deal, and you play like this in an NBA game? There are so many questions to answer, but this may be the biggest.

Thon Maker is another. He has obvious talent- but is he a C? If he played PF and got stronger, wouldn’t he be a more productive asset? 

Kemba Walker wants out of Charlotte... Dwight Howard has an expiring deal. Middleton, Parker (sign and trade), and Bledsoe for Walker, Howard, and Batum (2 years + a player option left at $23M per). 

I think Parker is Glenn Robinson part 2. Bill Walsh had a quote about Steve DeBerg when he was 49ers QB before Montana that DeBerg was "just good enough to get you beat." I think to paraphrase that quote is that Big Dog and Parker are "just good enough to get you to the first round of the playoffs."

Parker is too good to let a team fall into the lottery, but not good enough to get you deep into the playoffs as your best or second best player. He'd be a great 6th man off the bench once he's healthy, but he's going to want to be paid like Wiggins, Embiid, and Giannis.

Is he even that good? I’m starting to wonder...

Per basketballreference PER score (see definition below). League average player is 15.0.

Parker was at 19.1 last year before his second knee injury (career 16.3).

Big Dog's best year was 2000-01 and he was at 20.1 (career 17.5).

Giannis this year is 27.8

Middleton this year is 17.4

Brogdon 14.6

Bledsoe 18.7

Ray Allen 2000-01 22.9

Moncrief in 1982 22.6

Kareem 1971 29.9

Michael Jordan 1991 31.6

The player efficiency rating (PER) is John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates every player's statistical performance.

Coaching matters. More now than in the past. This team has never had it. Simmons makes a great point- rudderless. 

But they also lack a guy that can step back and kill you. Every team has it. The Bucks don’t 

Music City posted:

Is he even that good? I’m starting to wonder...

No, but I will give him the benefit of doubt because of the injuries. The Bucks are a good coach away from being really good.

Big Dog was much maligned for his defense but he was a very good scorer and his midrange shot was unstoppable.   I think Middleton compares more to Robinson than Parker.   Parker is just simply a better athlete than either guy.  However, Big Dog in his prime was better than either guy.

This is the problem with Milwaukee.  Had Parker not gotten hurt last year I think he’s another elite level player to go along with Giannis.  Currently?  The jury is still out IMO.  

Still, it’s Henson and Thon (no defense or rebounding) and Middleton (erratic outside shooting) and Bledsoe (lack of focus and too many mistakes) that are killing this team.  That and the Brogdon and Delly injuries.   They can’t guard teams with Bledsoe and Terry.  I also don’t think Bledsoe is a very effective PG.  He plays a lot more like a 2 guard and doesn’t set up or run the offense very well. 

Going to see Warriors / Bucks tonight

KD, Draymond are supposed to play. Can't wait to see Greek Freak!

Helluva 1st quarter!

Durant & Giannis battling.

With Durant thrown out, interested to see how Bucks respond now. 

9 point lead to open the 3rd. Try not to flush it down the toilet Bucks

6:34 left....Bucks up by 21 & Giannis is on the bench. They gonna hold the lead??

They still managed to make it interesting... but they really needed that win. Lakers tomorrow, and a chance to go 3-1 on the trip. 

Giannis definitely came out with a mission tonight. Parker with a decent bounce back game. Bledsoe was feeling it, and when he’s on they usually play well offensively. Defense was active in creating turnovers, but the Warriors do turn the ball over a lot- plays into the Bucks hands. 

What the hell has happened to Draymond Green? He doesn’t look like he’s even remotely interested. Is he waiting? 

Middleton & Parker FINALLY provided some support for Giannis.

Really nice win!

Rest of the regular season is exhibition for the W's. They're locked into the #2.

Music City posted:

They still managed to make it interesting... but they really needed that win. Lakers tomorrow, and a chance to go 3-1 on the trip. 

Giannis definitely came out with a mission tonight. Parker with a decent bounce back game. Bledsoe was feeling it, and when he’s on they usually play well offensively. Defense was active in creating turnovers, but the Warriors do turn the ball over a lot- plays into the Bucks hands. 

What the hell has happened to Draymond Green? He doesn’t look like he’s even remotely interested. Is he waiting? 

I think the whole Warriors team is sleep walking through the regular season at this point. It will be interesting to see if Durant, Klay T., and Green can flip the switch enough to get by the first round series without Curry. Right now, they could end up playing any of 4 teams: Thunder, Spurs, Pelicans, or Wolves.

If I'm the Warriors I don't want any part of the Thunder in the 1st round.

If the get by that series, then they will probably have the Blazers in Round 2 who seem to always give even a healthy Warriors team problems. They really need Curry for the Lillard matchup.

Wow, the Bucks beat a team without 2 of its 3 best players for the entire game and its 3 best players for the second half.

Awesome, man!

I get it that Bledsoe was hot, but with 12 seconds left Middleton got the ball and decided he was going to try to be a hero. Giannis didn’t touch the ball the final 2:18 or whatever, and they didn’t score a point. That **** pisses me off- GIVE THE BALL TO THE STAR!!!! You think Curry or Harden or Lebron is going to not have the ball at the end? You f**king dolts, you’re not stars! 

https://es.pn/2Iljji2

Music - The Giannis article you posted reminds me of the classic Michael Jordan Cleveland play where he hit the shot over Craig Ehlo. Giannis doesn't have to take every shot at the end of games, but every possession in these situations should feature Giannis touching the ball. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but force them to double Giannis and swing the ball for someone to have an open shot if you have to (Paxson or Kerr with clinching shots in Bulls' championship finals wins are examples). 

https://www.esquire.com/news-p...dan-over-ehlo-at-25/

That night in Cleveland, however, Collins was too clever for his own good. As related in Sam Smith's 1992 book The Jordan Rules:

Collins called time-out, gathered everyone in a tight circle, and began to draw a play for Dave Corzine. "Everyone started to look around," recalled back-up forward Jack Haley, who would call the moment the most thrilling of his life. "Doug could see everyone sort of frowning, and he started to explain that they wouldn't be expecting Corzine to get the ball. Michael just slammed his fist down on the clipboard and said, 'Give me the ****in' ball.' Doug looked at him, drew up the play Jordan wanted…"

Then just before breaking the huddle, Jordan, channeling his inner Jimmy Chitwood, told guard Craig Hodges, "I'm going to make it."

The issue right now is they have a lot of scoring options but without Delladova and Brogdon guys like Jason Terry are playing 30 minutes a game and that’s a recipe for disaster.   You look at the Bucks box score and you’d think they won by 20.   Not so fast my friends. 

Then you have Bledsoe doing what he does thinking he’s Steph Curry and man is this team frustrating to watch.  Know your damn role Bledsoe.  Same with Middleton.  Get the ball to 34 and get out of the way. 

I don’t understand it- what end of game offense would seem to be most effective? 

Giannis at high post, run some weak side action, let Giannis see the floor, and attack. It’s not hard. Giannis will make the right play.

And none of these guys  are closers. Who on this team can cross a guy over and step back? Giannis and Parker. You want to iso, that’s who you give the ball to. Not tweedle dee and tweedle turnover...

Music City posted:

I don’t understand it- what end of game offense would seem to be most effective? 

Giannis at high post, run some weak side action, let Giannis see the floor, and attack. It’s not hard. Giannis will make the right play.

And none of these guys  are closers. Who on this team can cross a guy over and step back? Giannis and Parker. You want to iso, that’s who you give the ball to. Not tweedle dee and tweedle turnover...

At least Middleton is 6'8" and is able to post guys up and get off a decent shot. Bledsoe is 6'1" and should be at best their 4th option at the end of games in these situations. Actually, he should be about their 11th options. The options should be as follows:

1. Clear out for Giannis at the top of the key and set up shooters on the wings. 

2. Clear out for Giannis on the right side of the floor

3. Clear out for Giannis on the left side of the floor

4. Post Giannis up at the FT line extended. 

5. Post Giannis up on the right block

6. Post Giannis up on the left block. 

7. Let Parker create from the top of the key

8. Let Parker create from the right side of the floor

9. Let Parker create from the left side of the floor

10. Post Middleton up on the block (don't let him dribble - let him do his turnaround)

11. Have Bledsoe dribble around at the three point line until he can get a contested 3 off. 

Wizards [Bullets] inexplicably lost to the Bulls today. Beat Denver tonight and they’re the 6th seed...

Parker working on a career night in Denver. 28 points in 30 minutes. Bucks up 9 with 3 minutes left. 

I'm not watching the game but following on line. Giannis hits a jump shot to put the Bucks up 102-84 with 7:34 left. He picks up his 5th foul at 7:09 and leaves the game. He comes back in at 3:53, then gets called for a charge and a technical foul at 3:43 which is his 6th foul with the Bucks up 107-98. 

What a clusterfukk in the last minute.  Bucks up 8 and can’t hold the lead?   Oh wait there’s Bledsoe leading the charge fouling guys and turning it over.  Jason Terry fouls the Denver player on a 3pt attempt to tie.  WTF.   

And now falling apart in OT> 

And fukk Middleton too

4-17 and just keep jacking it up 

of course they are fading in OT.  Game should never have made it to OT in the first place 

Pathetic.  Middleton with a horrible game, tops it off by throwing a terrible inbound pass that led to the foul by Terry. Middleton can leave as far as I’m concerned.  A lot of players in the league can shoot.

Stupid basketball deserves to lose...

I just watched that replay. That inbounds call up 3 at the end of regulation is the type of thing you'd be pissed about if you were a junior high coach. You have the ball in the front court and you throw a pass into the backcourt right to a defensive guy? What kind of idiotic inbound play design was that? What kind of idiot throws that pass? 

Do they have an inbounds play that doesn't involve lobbing a ball to Giannis? 

I also didn’t realize the Nuggets were +21 at the FT line.  That’s a joke.  Did Nick Bavetta unretire? 

I watched the 4th quarter and overtime and thought the officiating was brutal.  46 free throws for Denver.  The 6th foul call on Giannis was awful and the foul call on Terry on Murray's 3 at end of regulation was highly questionable.

Packdog

Jan 14th : " when you see a stupid turnover chances are Middleton is on the other end of it - he's mentally weak" .

Good scorer but his basketball smarts are on the low end of the scale. 

Middleton strikes again. Mind numbingly dumb pass(and there was plenty more stink from him last night)....was he trying to lose ?

Been watching this team since 1970 , cant recall being this frustrated.  Have there been worse Buck teams ? Obviously, but this one should be getting better results and not look so lazy and stupid in the process.