Bucks vs Hawks Eastern Conference Finals Thread

[FlaPack]

Inside the NBA, post-game show last night. Their assessments was that the Bucks played soft, should have blown them out, and suffered from poor coaching.

I'm not going to argue the point, but that's exactly how I saw the game.

Kenny Smith made it a point to say that if he was Jrue Holiday, on point, trying to guard Trae Young, he would have asked the coach to take him out. He was getting no help. He laid it on Bud.

As I said, this was their assessment, and quite honestly, as I watched the game, and listened to them later, I totally agree.

What went wrong coaching wise
- More Portis and less Lopez. Did not like Buds rotations. Portis played with energy and gave some inside presence.
- The Teague experiment was a failure, not even sure why that was an option
- Nitpicking a bit but the small line up with Giannis, Middleton. Holiday , Forbes and Portis exploited some matchups especially on the pick and roll

What went wrong player wise
- Connaughton is just uncomfortable shooting. That’s a wide open look from 3 and airmailed it. Not the first time
- Forbus looks hesitant to shoot.
- Soft on the boards which shocked me

Still like Bucks in 5 or 6

 

[FlaPack]

No doubt in my mind, Portis played better than Lopez. We have to quit making excuses for them losing by saying it was because they had a cold night outside the arc. If that's the case, they need to step up their defense, and work harder inside the arc, to create more points in the paint, where they can draw fouls. That said, Giannis was 6-8 from the charity line. Not a bad night for him. It still all goes back to coaching. Without saying it, too many people who have played the game at a top level are starting to see some serious flaws in how Bud coaches. McMillan, in my mind, is a far superior coach to him. If he isn't given a long term contract by the Hawks at the end of this year, the Bucks need to pursue him. The guy is a damned good coach!

Mac was a failure in Portland and Indiana so not buying he’s the end with all. When you get the quality looks they got last night that’s not coaching. I get you don’t like Bud but if you blame him for last night and some of that is valid you have to give him credit for the adjustments vs Brooklyn. It’s not a one way street. The defense last night was not horrible. Now the pick and roll defense was but it’s been all year with switching and that’s been a Lopez issue all year.

 

[TW]

The question isn't whether or not anyone gives credit to Bud for doing the right thing at times. The question is whether he's making the right decisions as a coach, often enough, to get the very best he can out of his roster.

I say he's failing. I'm definitely not alone on this.

 

[FlaPack]

The question isn't whether or not anyone gives credit to Bud for doing the right thing at times. The question is whether he's making the right decisions as a coach, often enough, to get the very best he can out of his roster.

I say he's failing. I'm definitely not alone on this.

IMO yes. Now he’s not flawless at all. His rotations and adjustments in the Brooklyn series were almost flawless. Same Miami series. Last night he is right to be criticized but at the same time players need to be held accountable. He had guys in position to make shots and they did not. His play design out of TO’s was very good. Now on defense that’s another story. There he needs to be accountable

 

[HowardK4]

IMO yes. Now he’s not flawless at all. His rotations and adjustments in the Brooklyn series were almost flawless. Same Miami series. Last night he is right to be criticized but at the same time players need to be held accountable. He had guys in position to make shots and they did not. His play design out of TO’s was very good. Now on defense that’s another story. There he needs to be accountable

Let me just reiterate that while I thought the officiating kept Atlanta in the game last night, the Bucks certainly did fail to execute their offense in the last 5 minutes of the game which allowed Atlanta to take advantage of it. That's on both Bud and the players.

 

[GBP4EVER]

The question isn't whether or not anyone gives credit to Bud for doing the right thing at times. The question is whether he's making the right decisions as a coach, often enough, to get the very best he can out of his roster.

I say he's failing. I'm definitely not alone on this.

It's a combo he's not adjusting and players are not producing. Middleton was garbage last night and Lopez looked like a giant stiff out there.

 

[TW]

Has anyone noticed that the opposition has found that if you shut out either Middleton or Holiday, and allow for Giannis his shots, you throttle the Bucks offense? The reason? They don't create for the #4 and #5 guy on the floor often enough to keep defenses honest.

We live and die on the 3, and the hope that someone outside the top 3 gets a hot hand. If that doesn't happen, we have games like last night. GBP's comment about Middleton and Lopez is correct. My question is, why? Why didn't Bud make adjustments to get them more into the flow of the game. Once again, we had guys standing around watching the play, where Atlanta had guys constantly on the move, creating different looks, and keeping the Bucks off balance.

In my opinion, the only reason the Bucks even win games is because they have super talent. I think it's as good as the Nets top 3 to be honest.

 

[FlaPack]

Has anyone noticed that the opposition has found that if you shut out either Middleton or Holiday, and allow for Giannis his shots, you throttle the Bucks offense? The reason? They don't create for the #4 and #5 guy on the floor often enough to keep defenses honest.

We live and die on the 3, and the hope that someone outside the top 3 gets a hot hand. If that doesn't happen, we have games like last night. GBP's comment about Middleton and Lopez is correct. My question is, why? Why didn't Bud make adjustments to get them more into the flow of the game. Once again, we had guys standing around watching the play, where Atlanta had guys constantly on the move, creating different looks, and keeping the Bucks off balance.

In my opinion, the only reason the Bucks even win games is because they have super talent. I think it's as good as the Nets top 3 to be honest.

The ball movement in the 1st quarter and 2nd was the best I have seen in over a month. As to Atlanta offense they had Gallinari and Hunter in iso most of the night so it was not so much ball movement. And if that offense has guys moving, then why did 60 of their 95 shots come from 2 guys? And more that a few of those were on offensive rebounds

As to getting others involved Lopez was a defensive liability and only played 20 minutes, Connaughton had 6 wide open looks. Yeah we live by the 3 and in todays NBA most teams do. When your best perimeter scores go 1-17 with open looks thats execution.

If you want to have a bitch with Bud, its on defense and thats very valid

 

[FlaPack]

It's a combo he's not adjusting and players are not producing. Middleton was garbage last night and Lopez looked like a giant stiff out there.

He actually made nice adjustment on offense so theres that

 

[FlaPack]

Let me just reiterate that while I thought the officiating kept Atlanta in the game last night, the Bucks certainly did fail to execute their offense in the last 5 minutes of the game which allowed Atlanta to take advantage of it. That's on both Bud and the players.

The 5 minute comment is valid but what the game came down to was losing 4 offensive reb. and Collins turned them into points. The lack of rebounding was effort