Your 2015-16 Milwaukee Bucks

Kidd with a wrinkle tonight- pulls MCW and Monroe out of the starting lineup, starting Mayo and Plumlee with Parker, Middleton, and Giannis. 

Id say the results were interesting- Monroe has 29 and 12, including the go ahead with 1 second left. Bucks were up by 19 at one point and had a 40 point 3rd q, before they came apart offensively in the 4th and let Boston back in it. Then a series of "wtf!!!" moments- Bayless inexplicably fouls Olynick on the ensuing inbounds after Monroe's basket, ties the game, they Avery fouls Middeton on the ensuing inbounds play... Unbelievable. Middleton makes the first, misses the second intentionally, Bucks beat a prett good Boston team. 

Monroes 29 points came in 28 minutes... 

Wrinkle Game 2:

Not sure how long it'll last. They get down early with the offense kinda stagnating. The normal "starters" get the major minutes in the 4th, so I don't know how much i like getting down early. Teams are already on to the fact that Parker is the primary scoring threat.

Speaking of Parker- starting to look like the #2 overall pick. Time to turn it on, kid... He changes everything if he starts impacting the game like he is starting to...

Rumors of a Dwight Howard trade might tip the hand of their summer plans...

Jabari starting to look like the #2 overall pick...

And that's what it looks like to completely piss away a winnable game...

Just read an article on the game - dang.  Middleton with a wide open look near the FT line?  Nine TO's in the 4th quarter?

Parker had a nice stat line.  23 points on 11/19 shooting.  Also 11 rebounds.  I haven't seen the games, but as you stated MC, he sure seems to be rising and that is good to hear!

The Bucks were up 8 after 3. They built the lead on Parker and Middleton, with Giannis making athletic plays. Charlotte had no answers, and the defense wasn't giving them much. 

Then they bring in MCW and Monroe, the ball stops moving, Parker never really sees the ball again, they have no defense, and they piss away the lead. 

Monroe was the primary culprit on the 9 4th quarter  turnovers. They kept trying to post him up, he'd dive into the lane against a collapsing defense, he'd lose the ball. Then he stops trying to drive, and he makes 2-3 lazy passes out of the high post that get tipped and go the other way. Monroe's contributions to the night were so bad I can't understand why he wasn't benched. Plumlee makes athletic plays, actually going crazy it the 'ol college try on D, and positively impacted the game. 

Parker had been to all going- dribble drives, cross-over step back, baseline flash cuts for finishes at the rim (or dunks), offensive boards... that's what this team needs. 

Another shooter never hurts... so it seems one of our own is coming home to live the dream...

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_...ound-milwaukee-bucks

Rashad Vaughn had a rough night shooting the other night- but he's getting it. Tonight he's pumping the 3 and creating off the drive. He has a chance to be a pretty good player. 

Already starting to show some flashes...

2 OTs, but a pretty nice win in ATL. Parker hits another 20/10 double-double, and overall a pretty strong defensive effort. MCW took over OT#2. 

Memo to The Bucks- maybe keep feeding Parker? He's taking over...

I like your contributions, MC.

Thanks!

Parker is a pretty skilled offensive player so this recent success should not come as much of a surprise.  I also think Vaughn will come around because the kid can flat out shoot. 

It's a lost season but get another good draft pick and see what happens next year 

Middleton had that stretch a few weeks ago where he was trying to get All Star consideration. Teams adjusted and he spiraled into a shooting slump. Friday night he has a 15 footer all alone off a P&R that should have won the game. Left it short. Last night, he has 2 FTs with a chance to force the Hawks to shoot a 3 to tie. Instead he leaves the first one short. Schroeder penetrates and they tie the game with a floater with 3 secs left. 

Parker has a good one on one chance in those final 3 seconds. He lets the shot go a half second late (which he did in fact make). 

Little things are often the difference between winning and losing in the NBA. The younger you are, the more those little things pile up. 

And that's where we stand. The lack of a deadline deal means a couple things- they're doubling down on this roster and these players, and that Jason Kidd is running the show. Kidd wanted this roster. He wants MCW to run this team. It's easy to be impatient. MCW has disappointed. Monroe is a substandard defender. Their bench isn't good enough. They still foul too much, and the turn the ball over at a disturbing rate. 

But last night I saw this team play some pretty good D. They scrambled to recover and shut down their 3 point shooters. It's coming around. Experience is what this team needs. They're getting it in 2015-16. 

Novak is officially a member of the Bucks...

Copeland waived.

We'll see if he can hit some shots and open the floor. 

Giannis showing the full array of weapons and moves last night... Hits a triple-double. Got a little loose towards the end, and Novak got a good look and missed as the crowd was chanting for him. 

wouldn't be shocked if both Kareem and Ray Allen liked Anteteh.

Absolutely sh*t effort defensively tonight...

I was a Brad Stephens doubter...didn't think there was a chance in hell he was going to get through to pro players. Looks like some dudes little brother, not an nba head coach. 

But he has that team hummin'. Very impressed with the wrinkle they threw at Milwaukee last night- they ran every chance they got. Caught the whole team off guard. And Isaiah Thomas absolutely destroyed MCW/Mayo last night. The no-look behind the head pass from the lane to the corner for the back-breaking 3 by Crowder was impossible to defend. You tip you cap... unbelievable play. 

Still, Monroe got pimp-slapped around the court last night. Bucks did their best to keep up, but too many turnovers and ill advised shots gave Boston all the extra possessions they needed to hold on. Winnable game pissed away...

Rumor is that Kidd wanted to make a monster deal at the deadline and ownership shot him down.  If it was anything like the MCW trade thank God. 

Kidd is really failing to impress me at this point 

MCW is an absolute train wreck now. He fumbled the ball out of bounds, dribbles off Parker's foot, throws the ball into the post to be tipped away... Completely lost. When he comes in, the offense stalls. 

There's all sorts of rumors out here about Kidd. If he wanted to deal Monroe and was shut down, his relegation to the second unit would lend validity to that. 

But i do not buy it. The ownership will put the hammer down quickly on any bs squabbling or power plays because this team MUST succeed. It would be disastrous if they didn't...

Steve, we hardly knew ya...

So, the latest scuttlebutt is that Dwight Howard was close to being dealt to Milwaukee but since he would not opt in his final year the trade was nixed.  That's interesting a a couple of levels.  First, there's an assumption that no one wants to play in Milwaukee, but when you look at the young players they are assembling and a new stadium on the way, I think that bodes well for the future.  Second, it proves to me that the Bucks aren't satisfied with the status quo.  

In some respects, I am glad they didn't blow up the roster at the deadline.  They still need to address the PG position and get an enforcer in the middle, but this is a team that has a lot of really good, young players.  Middleton, Giannis, and Parker might be the best three young up and comers on any team other than Golden State.   They also aren't hampered by a number of crappy long term contracts.  

2015 is/was a lost season, but I think there's a lot to be excited about for the future. 

Future schmuture... start playing some frigging winning basketball!!!

Agreed- last night was frustrating...

NBC Sports reported that MN offered up Rubio for Middleton at the deadline. 

Seriously Minnesota? 

Maybe had they offered their 1st rounder next year (likely to be a lottery pick) and Rubio it's worth a discussion but I still may not make that deal 

Big 3rd q and they're blowing them out...

The trio of Middleton and Giannis and Parker was impressive 

Get a real point guard and this team could really be a handful 

If they can do that and keep MCW, it would be great. He'd be killer off the bench as a post up G and defensive specialist. And if he continued to improve the j, he'd still be pretty valuable. 

The thing about Howard liking the idea of going to Milwaukee still has me thinking the Ownership has plans for that this summer. To have an elite defender in there would be huge. More options. 

But with Giannis at a point F position, they need Gs that can shoot. They also need Fs that can shoot, and they can get a true stretch big, that would really help. 

OKC just dropping an entire can of whoopass now...64 points. Down 16 at the half...

OKC does what OKC does... Blow leads. Bucks in striking distance now...

Bucks trio of Giannis, Parker, and Middleton have been playing well for a good stretch now.  They are legit.

How the Bucks can lose to that Bulls team... Just pisses me off. The Bulls suck. But if you can't defend the paint (Gibson owned Parker, Gasolvwith the trip/dub), you aren't going to win. 

Bucks are a solid team at home- 20 wins now, and a pretty good win against a hot (pardon the pun) Heat team.

Mayo takes a spill on the stairs, breaks leg, season's over. The Wednesday game probably his last as a Bucks.

So Tyler Ennis gets a shot at big minutes. Played pretty well the other night. Make your shots, kid... 

Bucks really turned up the defensive effort in the second half- Pelicans really struggled and the Bucks pulled away in the 4th. Middleton 2 assists shy of a trip/dub, Monroe back in the starting 5 and gets a customary double/double. Parker played poorly but still ended up with 15. Bayless a couple key 3s in the4ty quarter run that blew the game open. 

Bucks get a road win tonight with Giannis netting another trip/dub. Parker solid, all the young Bucks showing out all game long. 

As the big 3 get better, the needs of this team become more apparent. Their 3 pt shooting and ability to defend Gs top the list, and the rebounding must get a lot better. 

Bucks have a pretty fair 1st half, down 3. 

Toronto scores the first 12 points of the 3rd, and are 21-9 with about 5 min to go in the period. Lowry unstoppable tonight, offense has imploded in this quarter. 

That game personifies what's wrong with this team. The Gs are completely incapable  of stopping dribble penetration. Help has to come, and then one of 3 things happen- 

1) they beat everyone to the basket and get a basket and/or fouled

2) help cuts them off and they can't rotate fast enough to recover as the ball gets passed around for either a shot, a 3, or more penetration 

3) they do recover, contest the shot successfully, and the help D created openings in the lane got the other team to get an o-board/putback

They got a whole mouthful of all three last night starting in the second half. They didn't have any answers and got smacked around by a good (not great) team. Yes, they're young, and that's a lot of this. But 60+ games of the same f-ing problem? 

Kidd better get this thing figured out... all the Giannis triple/doubles (one assist shy last night)  won't mean Richard if they can't defend simple dribble penetration...

In the offseason I think their biggest needs are as follows: 

1) find a guard that can defend (MCW doesn't count) 

2) find a big man that can enforce down in the paint rebounding and contesting shots 

3) find a guy - any position - that can hit 3 pointers on a semi consistent basis 

I'm less concerned as I was about PG if the Bucks continue to utilize Giannis as a hybrid guard because he's such a matchup nightmare.   Vaughn might help fill one position but if Bayless goes they will need another guard. 

Vaughn is hitting the wall now. His shot's gone all to hell, but that's ok. If he puts in the work, he has a chance. He can be George Hill or Paddy Mills. Just what the doctor ordered. 

Ugly  game last night. Matt Barnes is such a punk little f-er... Henson gave that prick exactly what he had coming. 

Interesting that they're supposed to have a need for paint defender- that's what Henson is supposed to be. Maybe he's developing, maybe he can assert himself more. Defense and rebounding are this guy's specialty but he's not helping them. I'll tell you what- if you're built like him and have back issues, it means you're out of shape and not strong enough. They need a lifting program for him and Giannis. Keep getting stronger and you'll be able to perform better longer.