2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks Season Thread

[TW]

Money changes people when you start getting millions and become famous your view points change and being a common person is one of them.

Yup! I know a lot of people who have ended up going that route. Some went from the nicest people in the world to the biggest dicks. I have relatives like that.

 

[TW]

The Bucks played tenacious defense during two quarters against the T-Wolves. The first and third. In the second and fourth, they just hung on, hoping they could hit enough shots to stick with it. Fortunately, they won, and against a solid contender I might add, and on the road.

I'm not going to say they're fixed yet, because I don't think that playing the way they did in the 2nd and 4th quarters last night will allow you to win any games if your shooting is a bit off on a given night.

I wish I could understand how they can smoke someone for an entire quarter and then get smoked themselves.

The problem is, if they get smoked early, they rarely, if ever, mount a substantial comeback. They fall short.

It's perplexing. Dame had a better all around game, and actually did play a little defense, now and then. He was one rebound away from a triple-double.

I liked how both Connaughton and Lopez played intensive defense. It was impressive.

 

[HowardK4]

The Bucks played tenacious defense during two quarters against the T-Wolves. The first and third. In the second and fourth, they just hung on, hoping they could hit enough shots to stick with it. Fortunately, they won, and against a solid contender I might add, and on the road.

I'm not going to say they're fixed yet, because I don't think that playing the way they did in the 2nd and 4th quarters last night will allow you to win any games if your shooting is a bit off on a given night.

I wish I could understand how they can smoke someone for an entire quarter and then get smoked themselves.

The problem is, if they get smoked early, they rarely, if ever, mount a substantial comeback. They fall short.

It's perplexing. Dame had a better all around game, and actually did play a little defense, now and then. He was one rebound away from a triple-double.

I liked how both Connaughton and Lopez played intensive defense. It was impressive.

The defense was good most of the game against the t-wolves, and again today against the 76ers. Much more. Intensity that before the break.
It also appears Rivers is letting Lillard be “Dame time” a bit more often, getting him more into it offensively.

 

[TW]

The defense was good most of the game against the t-wolves, and again today against the 76ers. Much more. Intensity that before the break.
It also appears Rivers is letting Lillard be “Dame time” a bit more often, getting him more into it offensively.

Yes, good game today against the 76ers on both ends of the game. The third time, in the last 6, they held an opponent under 100. Only once before this entire year until now. That's huge gains.

Connaughton is now being utilized the way he should have been. Lillard is playing defense. They're driving to the bucket, and dishing off for the open shots. The selfish part of their game is gone. That shows in the increasing number of assists as each game goes along. They're beginning to act like a team, not a bunch of entitled brats with some other hanging around.

It's nice seeing Lopez getting his swagger back. Bobby Portis is talking again, and Pat Beverley is adding to it when he's on the court. Communications is the key to good defense. You talk, you let everyone know what's happening out there.

I see they did get rid of one of the assistant coaches. Nate Mitchell was fired. Obviously he didn't fit in with everyone else. By the way, he was the only coach that Griffin brought in with him from the start. It's saying something.

 

[GBP4EVER]

I was hoping AJ Green was going to get some more chances once when he flashed when he's been given a chance on the court. But seems MKE sticking with it's idea that each year in buyouts they need to sign a washed up Europe player and give him minutes. See this year it's Danilo Gallinari.

 

[TW]

I'm beginning to see the Bucks play defense. It's amazing how much that means in a game. I'm not convinced yet that this trend will continue, but if it does, they may actually end up being the team to beat, if they can keep their offense running at the same time.

As I've watched this 5-0 run since the All Star break, I'm seeing a renewed effort on the part of them playing as a unit on the floor, not the continuous individual play or forced combo of Lillard and Giannis. Everyone else is being more involved on offense, and Dame is more involved on defense.

Let's hope this continues. This is way too good a team to being kicked around like they were.

 

[57packer]

What's very different to me in recent games is the consistency throughout the game. No more of this see-saw effort from quarter to quarter. In other games this year they'd have one quarter where they'd outscore their opponent by 17, only to get outscored by 18 the next quarter. Now it seems they are getting more consistent effort from everyone. Hopefully that continues.

 

[GBP4EVER]

Give the Bucks credit whatever they did during the all-star break is working. This team was a mess going into the break but since coming out of the break they are now 6-0. Even winning last night without Giannis in the lineup. Hopefully whatever they are doing they can keep this going for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.

 

[HowardK4]

Give the Bucks credit whatever they did during the all-star break is working. This team was a mess going into the break but since coming out of the break they are now 6-0. Even winning last night without Giannis in the lineup. Hopefully whatever they are doing they can keep this going for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.

and they won via comeback in Q4 - through playing defense.
in the 6-0 post the all star break, on teams are scoring on average less than 100 points. It was 119 before the break.

 

[TW]

Last night's game against the Clippers was impressive. The defense was amazing. Harden got his points, but Harden always gets his points. Paul George was lighting it up too, but he can do that. Leonard was playing his usual outside game, which was nasty at times, but after that, the Clippers were nearly toothless. Even though their big 3 hit on a high percentage of shots, they turned the ball over often enough that it took the edge off their game.

What shocked me, and I think the Clippers as well, is how well conditioned the Bucks players were, as they actually force offense, by moving down the floor as quick as they did. The Clippers defense couldn't set up fast enough, and the Bucks were slashing to the bucket. It paid off, at the free throw line.

Portis showed why it was stupid for anyone to consider trading him. He's a spark plug out there. Not only self motivation, but he brings everyone up with him. Beasley had a tough game offensively, but he did a good job creating havoc on secondary Clipper players, defensively.

That 4th quarter was pretty much the diagram of how this team is capable of playing defense. They can be in your face, and make you run time off the clock, without realizing it. They did that repeatedly, as even Dame stepped up, and was cancelling opportunities for the Clippers. Awesome job pretty much by everyone out there.

I do like Beverley on this team. He's a lot like Portis, but his presence has been a real road map as to how you talk to each other out there, and the entire team seems to be picking up on it. It's helping their defense be more aggressive.

I don't think I'd be selling this team short at this point. There's talent there, they just need to keep using it, one game at a time, and hope the chemistry is good enough to go all the way.

I'm gonna admit it. If Doc continues to pressure them to play defense, I might have been wrong about him in a lot of ways. But, I still don't believe he's a great long term fix for this team. What he does offer most is that he's "coaching," not letting the players dictate the game.