Wheels coming off now...
The Bucks have no defense at all, and won’t be contenders until they learn to play it. Sixers shooting 72% from the floor, 18 for 25.
Is Euro Step the new word for traveling? This is my first NBA game of the season.
How??? What a crazy game. Erased 21 point deficit in the first half and a 19 point deficit in the second.
It was 81-62 with 10:15 to go. The Bucks finished the 3rd q 31-5 and lead 93-86.
I know Philly was hot to start and it was going to slie down eventually, but the Bucks scored 36 points on 26 turnovers. That some sloppy basketball. Embiid, Simmons, and Redick were responsible for 18 of them.
Good win... I guess? Just crazy...
Great win - shut-up & Take it. Moving along!
Watched the 1st quarter and thought "here we go again this team cant play defense" ....their season high for points given up in quarter - 43 points !! Fell a sleep on the couch and woke up in the 4th quarter. Held Philly to 14 points in the 3rd ???!!!! Wow what a turn around - gotta snooze more regularly it saves on the anguish. Nice win.
Brainwashed Boris posted:Great win - shut-up & Take it. Moving along!
On the surface sure... but just when you think they’re turning the corner they pee down their leg in 3 tough losses, two against teams they’re competing against in the east. It’s hard to fully get on board for this.
BTB tonight in Indy. Would be great to take yesterday’s momentum and get that really bad loss last week off the books.
I thought the "euro-step" is just like a normal lay-up type step - except - instead of taking the two steps straight on....you jig-jag the two steps.
The "crab-dribble" is definitely traveling.
I’m so done with Khris Middleton... the guy has no sense of himself or of smart play. He thought he could outrun two quick Gs and instead gets a jump ball out of a steal- then tries to tip the ball to the shortest guy on the team.
He needs to know his role, his place, and his limitations. He’s not a good enough athlete to do some of the things he tries. He turns the ball over because he thinks he’s a G. He can’t defend Derozen or other athletic wings.
Hes a spot up shooter. A decent defender. He has some post up mid range game.
He’s not a ball handler. He’s not a creator or a playmaker. On a good team he’s a sixth or seventh man.
Jan 14th : " when you see a wide open shooter or 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 was being Middleton again tonight...
Jennings doesn’t play defense but he can score points. Too bad about Teletovic as he’s not been the same since leaving Phoenix.
If Jennings can still break down a D, and get it going from 3 maybe he can be a spar plug off the bench. But he slight, and can’t defend bigger guards.
Tough to know how much quickness he has left. If he has some, he can be an offensive weapon.
Its amazing to me seeing this kid back in Milwaukee. He had visions of being elite, but he absolutely believed he had to get out of Milwaukee. Karma but him square on the ass.
Now back with a seemingly mature perspective, maybe more professional. Could have probably gone a few places- trying to get it back in Milwaukee. He was electric when he was at his best....
I just read that Jennings’ shooting splits with the Herd were 34.6/33.9/85.1, averaging 21 ppg.
Dude still can’t shoot the ball. He’ll fit right in...
Holy moly... I know it’s Memphis but Jennings comes in and gets 11 points, 9 assists, and 6 boards in 14 minutes in the first half.
Interesting...
If he can give them 10-15 quality minutes a game while they wait for Brogdon to get back, it will be a huge lift. No more having to play a fossilized version of Jason Terry 30 minutes a game. Terry is a great player-coach to have around, but he's about 8 years past being a big minutes guy on a playoff team.
Jennings looked good. Maybe not quite as quick as he once was but better court awareness and better teeth 
The good thing is Middleton won’t be handling the ball.
Still turned the ball over 20 times tonight.
15 games left. Bucks in 7th spot right now, but seeds 3-8 are within 3.5 games of each other. The Heat are the 8th seed right now and 5 games clear of #9 Charlotte. So we know which teams are in.
Right now the only sure thing are
1. Toronto
2. Boston
Then
Pacers 39-28
Cleveland 38-28
Washington 38-29
76ers 36-29
Bucks 36-31
Heat 36-32
The Pacers hold the tie-breaker against the Bucks, so they are in affect 4 games up on the Bucks with 15 to play. Thus, the Bucks could be anywhere from the 4 to 8 seed. They have games remaining against the Magic, Hawks, Bulls, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, and Magic - so those 7 games against the Tankers section should get them to 43 wins. Then they have games against the Cavs, Clips (2), Spurs, Nuggets, Celtics, Warriors, and 76ers. I could see them winning 4 of those 8 games. 47 wins would probably get a 6th or 7th seed.
You see the raw talent of Jennings and I am pulling for the guy. He’s not as skilled as AI but similar build.
We’ll get a better look next couple weeks. Clippers, Spurs, GS...
Bucks ****ting the bed tonight against the Magic. This will piss off the Magic front office since they are actively trying to tank.
The +/- numbers are pretty illuminating tonight.
The Bucks were +10 in the 40 minutes Giannis played. The Bucks were -21 the other 8 minutes.
When Giannis sat tonight they were awful tonight.
When Giannis rested with 5 minutes left in the first quarter the Bucks were down 16-13. When he came back 3 minutes later they were down 13.
Giannis sat down with a little more than 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter and the Bucks were down 51-46. He came back 2 minutes later and they were down 7.
Giannis leaves in the third quarter with 4:22 and the Bucks ahead 78-77. He has to come back about 2 and half minutes later with the Bucks behind 80-88.
The Magic had 17 points in the 2:44 Giannis sat out in the 1st quarter.
The Magic only had 5 points in the 2:19 Giannis sat out in the 2nd quarter.
The Magic had 10 points in the 2:30 Giannis sat out in the 3rd quarter.
So, that's 32 points in the 7:33 that Giannis sat.
That's the equivalent of giving up 180 points over 48 minutes.
That 14-0 run in the final 4 or so minutes of the 3rd was like watching Hundley against Baltimore last year.
This team is a dumpster fire right now.
7:14 left at home against the 20-49 Atlanta Hawks, and we’re struggling to hold on, leading 102-98.
Hey, they won
They need something. Don't know if it's a Phil Jackson type coach or what, but I think the player talent is there to succeed.
Giannis is a big star in a small market: Even though he won’t reach free agency until 2021, that hasn’t stopped Joel Embiid and Steph Curry from subtly (and not-so-subtly) recruiting him.
The Bucks have the superstar they need. But the question, as always, is: Will they build the right team around him?
Sounds like a bit of a discrepancy. Boris (have the talent versus will they build the right team).
I think MC has been on the mark. Team needs a big body at center to offset players like the Piston's center (can't think of his name) and other big body rebounders. And they need a player who can stick the 3.
I think there are few teams that don't even have one player that consistently hits the 3 and the Bucks are one of them.
Two major weaknesses have been exposed this season- the Bucks cannot defend the paint and do not have an adequate athlete at the wing.
The defense in the paint is simple physics- John Henson is just an older version of Thon Maker- long, skinny, and not strong enough to play C in the NBA. Team “all length” is the worst rebounding team in the NBA. What does that tell you? The “all length” is a failed concept. I am not saying pull the plug on the Thon Maker project- but he has one important mission this off season- protein shakes and weight room time. Henson was a bad signing and should be sent packing on the first deal available.
Khris Middleton is a bench player. Against front line guys he’s not athletic enough to stay with the leagues better wings. So either move on or put him in the second unit. They have Snell and Brown, both more athletic, and Brogdon as well. Middleton is a poor ball handler and decision maker, and if there is no place on the bench there’s no place for him on the roster. But they can’t keep them all, so Horst needs to come up with a plan. Brogdon and Brown are better defensively than Middleton, and “3 and D” guys are what you need around Giannis.
But the article mentioned scheme- this is such a massive issue for this team. Freelance, one on one, forcing the ball... and it’s why they need an innovative coach.
The question remains- is Parker a future star? I really want to believe he is- except he doesn’t play like one. But maybe that’s coaching, too. I know he’s iffy defensively, but that can be coached to adequate. All I know is 1/3rd or more of those shots Middleton gets should be Parker’s.
Horst has work to do. Parker restricted, trades possible, and a definite purge of the “team all-length” concept needs to begin in earnest. Need veteran, smart basketball. Time to move on from more than just a few of the current prime players.
Or maybe you package Parker, Middleton, Henson, and Brogdon for an unhappy guy in San Antonio... 
Bucks looking disinterested in the fourth quarter against the Cavs, even with Lebron resting on the bench.
It almost appears the players have tuned out and are waiting for the next coach for next year?
I would not deal Brogdon. He is a reliable scorer and plays pretty good D. Plus they aren’t saddled with a big contract.
On the other hand, I would consider trading anyone else not named Giannis because right now this team has so many flaws. Yes, they have 5-6 guys that can score 20+ a night but as we saw last night that means nothing if you can’t occasionally slow down the other team, contest shots, and rebound.
They have no inside presence whatsoever and I’m done with John Henson and Thon Maker trying to defend the post. They simply can’t do it. Even worse, they are both lazy and sloppy on the ball defenders.
Middleton might be the least effective 20ppg player in the league. He scored 30 last night but it meant nothing. The guy used to play defense but now he thinks he needs do be Giannis part II and it’s killing this team.
Parker is what he is - a very good scorer that plays no D. Still, if I had to choose I keep him over Middleton.
Then there is Bledsoe. Talk about a frustrating player. Guy has all the talent in the world but at times he mails it in with lack of focus and motivation and plays selfish way more than he should. Case in point - it was clear he was off last night and just keeps jacking it up instead of going to the hot hand in Giannis or Middleton.
Lots of big decisions in the offseason.
As frustrating as it is to watch Parker play D like the Big Dog used to, I think you have to keep him. Guys with that kind of offensive talent are at such a premium. He's basically a Carmelo Anthony type. Parker should be a great 3 and D guy, he's the got the 3 but has no D.
Giannis, Brogdon, and Parker are the building blocks. I'm on the fence with Bledsoe, but you can win with him. The problem with Middleton is that I think he's a high shot volume guy and the offensive touches should go through Giannis and Jabari.
At this point, I think it's establishing a winning culture. Other than Golden State and Houston, is there any other team out there that has that much more talent than the Bucks? If Popovich, Kerr, or Brad Stevens was coaching this team, they'd be a 55 win team.