Spreading the Ball Around–Jason Kidd’s Influence

“Come further up, come further in!,” – C.S. Lewis. Taking the advice of the wise English author I’ve spent the majority of my Bucks time writing for Fansided’s BehindtheBuckPass.com, largely eschewing contributions to this site. Having said that, let’s talk some basketball.

Despite losing Larry Sanders to general instability and Kendall Marshall to an ACL tear–the Milwaukee Bucks continue trudging through their January schedule playing .500 basketball at 6-6. That’s not a bad rate for a team missing two opening day starters, Sanders and Parker, and a solid bench player in Marshall.

But when you step back and look at who the 6 January wins have come against: New York (2), Minnesota, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami–things look less glossy. Meanwhile the Bucks had opportunities against playoff contenting San Antonio, Toronto, and Phoenix before being edged by single digits each game.

In other words the Bucks are too good to be bad and too bad to be good. As all Buck’s fans know–that’s a recipe for NBA purgatory…the 7th or 8th seed in the playoffs.

So why should you embrace this year’s Bucks team when they’re almost inevitably heading toward a six-game series defeat against Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, or Washington? It’s Jason Kidd.

Outside of Milwaukee few members of the media truly appreciate what Kidd has done with this team. Most panelists gave the Bucks 20-30 wins, low estimate to high estimate this season. And playoffs? They certainly aren’t sniffing that out. But through creative rotations and strong bench play Kidd has done something Milwaukee hasn’t seen in over a decade–he’s created a winning atmosphere.

You can see Kidd’s attitude translated on the court through his player’s demeanor. Take last night’s win against the Heat for example, with special attention to the this section of the third quarter:

6:01		62-69	Danny Granger makes two point shot
6:01	Khris Middleton shooting foul (Danny Granger draws the foul)	62-69
6:01		62-70	Danny Granger makes free throw 1 of 1
6:01	O.J. Mayo enters the game for Khris Middleton	62-70
6:01		62-70	James Ennis enters the game for Mario Chalmers
5:45	John Henson makes two point shot	64-70
5:26		64-72	Hassan Whiteside makes layup
5:26	John Henson shooting foul (Hassan Whiteside draws the foul)	64-73
5:26		64-73	Hassan Whiteside makes free throw 1 of 1
5:18		64-73	James Ennis personal foul (O.J. Mayo draws the foul)
5:07	Brandon Knight bad pass (Danny Granger steals)	64-73
5:01		64-73	Norris Cole misses driving layup
4:58	John Henson defensive rebound	64-73
4:56	Giannis Antetokounmpo makes layup (Brandon Knight assists)	66-73
4:56	Heat Full timeout
4:37		66-75	Chris Bosh makes two point shot (Danny Granger assists)
4:22	Giannis Antetokounmpo makes 12-foot two point shot	68-75
3:54		68-78	Norris Cole makes three point jumper (Hassan Whiteside assists)
3:31	O.J. Mayo makes 11-foot two point shot	70-78
3:31		70-78	James Ennis shooting foul (O.J. Mayo draws the foul)
3:31	Jerryd Bayless enters the game for Brandon Knight	70-78
3:31	O.J. Mayo makes free throw 1 of 1	71-78
3:05		71-78	Chris Bosh misses 19-foot two point shot
3:04	Jared Dudley defensive rebound	71-78
2:55	O.J. Mayo makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jerryd Bayless assists)	74-78

Notice the score with 5:07 remaining–the Bucks are down nine, just turned the ball over and looked for all the world like they were about to face a double-digit deficit. Having lost a team-record 67 times last season, we almost expected a complete collapse. Not this Milwaukee Bucks team, not Jason Kidd.

Giannis Antetokounmpo took a handle of the game scoring 4 fast points, holding off the Heat just long enough for O.J. Mayo to catch a little fire and bring the Bucks back to within four points. The Bucks would tie the game by the end of the quarter, giving themselves a great shot in the fourth. The Bucks would win the game 109-102. Last year’s team wouldn’t have.

That’s this team in a nutshell–mentally tough, poised, and defensively eager.

So when the Bucks make the playoffs and likely lose in the first round your knee-jerk reaction will be to roll your eyes and say “I thought things we’re going to be different.”

They are. They are.

Milwaukee Bucks fail to wipe the glass, allow 46 to Pau Gasol, and lose to Chicago Bulls 95-87

Tonight’s Killer,Pau Gasol, froze the Bucks with a 46 point, 18 rebound performance.

Someday the Bucks hope to make the leap into the next stratosphere of NBA quality. In order to get to that level they will need to be able to beat the Chicago Bulls. In a potential playoff matchup (4 vs. 5) the Bucks had an opportunity to show that their progress is no farce. But for most of Saturday night the Bucks played like an inferior, nervous team. They passed without conviction, shot without confidence, and posed little to no low-post competence. Credit Pau Gasol with notching a career-high scoring effort (46)–but this was a game that the Bucks expected to lose, regardless of Pau’s virtuoso display.

In vintage fringe-contender fashion the Bucks were all-too-satisfied with just hanging around the Bulls every time they threatened to take a commanding lead, reeling them in just close enough to be within shouting distance, but not contention. The aggressive, confident Bucks team we’ve seen the past 2 months never gained full confidence but for a brief 4 minute spurt to start the 3rd quarter–a stretch that saw the Bucks take a momentary 1-point lead, 51-50. A quality team plays to the moment, like the Bulls did–but the Bucks (being the Bucks, after all) remembered they should be happy, ecstatic even, to simply hang around with the Bulls. But beating them? Oh, no–they couldn’t do that.

So the Bucks went ahead and failed to score for the next 5 minutes allowing Pau Gasol and the Bulls to grab a 9 point lead–putting the Bucks right back into their comfort zone: threatening, but not controlling. Aggressive, but not assertive. Good, but not great.

In order to be great the Bucks need find a way to score during their cold stretches. They need to be able to find a way to stop a star player from scoring a career-high (you bet your ass they missed Larry Sanders tonight). They need to rebound better, pass better during cold spells, and play defense without fouling.

Most of all the Bucks need to play with the swagger we saw them show against the Hawks (in ATL), 76ers, Knicks, and T-Wolves. Until they are confident in their own identity they will have a difficult time beating higher level Eastern Conference teams.

Five Observations

1. Zaza Pachulia’s recent stretch of solid play came to a crashing halt when matched up against the faster, sharper Pau Gasol. Zaza had trouble staying in front of Gasol, defending his jumper, rebounding, and scoring (his 3-12 from the field was a Buck’s low). Keep in mind that John Henson didn’t fare much better against the Bull’s bigs, but did manage to pull in 7 rebounds and protect the rim (4 blocks).
2. Was that Giannis Antetokounmpo out there? Because it sure didn’t look like him. The Chicago defense straight up confounded Giannis, who refused to attack Jimmy Butler, shied away from contact near the rim, and never really found his stride in transition but for a swift and-1 against Aaron Brooks. Look, Giannis IS ONLY 20 years old and figures to be able to bulk up significantly over the next few off-seasons–but in the right now he looked undersized and tentative against the bigger, formidable Chicago front line. The fact that Giannis pulled in 6 rebounds despite being diminutive in stature against the likes of Jimmy Butler, Tony Snell and Taj Gibson shows the character that he plays with. That’s something you can’t gain in the weight room or teach in the classroom.
3. Brandon Knight turned in a stellar performance going for 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists with only 1 turnover. The common jab that people like to throw at Knight is his tendency to go into “Hero Mode” when the team around him fails to make plays. It’s almost as if his game says “I know no one else is able to break us out of this cold stretch, so I’m going to take a mid-range jumper”. But you know what? He IS the only Buck capable of making a slump breaking shot. We saw that ability tonight when he made an and-1 jumper late in the second quarter with the Bulls threatening to blow the game wide open. We saw him make a 20 footer with 5:15 left in the 4th down 12, then steal the ball on the next possession and find Bayless for an open 3 pointer (which he missed). He doesn’t go into “Hero Mode,” he is the hero. And until Giannis or Jabari Parker develop their clutch genes he will continue being the hero.
4. Ersan Ilyasova can’t get healthy soon enough. With Johnny O’Bryant looking all parts rookie and Kenyon Martin looking all parts old the Bucks were ravaged on the glass–getting out-rebounded 51-37. Things were so bad that neither O’Bryant or Martin pulled in a rebound. Yikes! It’s not that Ersan is an elite rebounder, but he does have that  “hoover” instinct–an absence that ultimately costed the Bucks a chance at stealing this game.
5. It’s great to see O.J. Mayo hit important shots for the Bucks again. After sleeping through the 2nd half of December, Mayo was sent to the bench in favor of Khris Middleton. But he didn’t gripe, complain, or draw negative attention to the team. Instead he’s quietly gone about his business as usual and played the same game we’ve seen this entire season: very assertive defense (seriously), good passing, and streaky shooting. Mayo may never be the superstar he thought he should be early in his career–but he sure is a damn good 6th man. Let’s hope his 3 point shot decides to stay around for a while, he’s shot 6-7 in the last 2 games–a streak that led to this gem of a tweet.
   🍊J!!— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 11, 2015

What Kenyon Martin means for the Bucks and his effect on “Owning the Future”

        Kenyon Martin will bring size and depth to the Buck’s front line

It’s official: the Milwaukee Bucks have signed Kenyon Martin to a 10-day contract while waiving Nate Wolters.

The move provides the Bucks much-needed front court depth during the indefinite absences of Larry Sanders and Ersan Ilyasova along with the season ending injuries to Jabari Parker and Damien Inglis.

The addition of Martin will likely reduce the minutes of Johnny O’Bryant, who has been largely ineffective in a starting role. O’Bryant’s game, while boasting a reasonable jumper, lacks rebounding and shooting discretion (.404 since his debut at Portland on Dec.17th). Given time to develop his game O’Bryant could become a clogger with a jumper, but his defense will need to improve if he’s to earn bigger minutes–he’s currently getting just over 14 in a starting role.

Using Martin’s size, the Bucks should play more traditional sets (2 guards, 2 forwards, 1 center) instead of the 4 guard, 1 center “small ball” attack we’ve seen the past 2 weeks. The small ball offense, while offensively capable and good in transition, lacks defense and rebounding. The latter being an area of weakness that’s plagued the Bucks this entire season.

If Martin can contribute in a complimentary role until Ilyasova and Sanders return, while reducing the chances of injuries to Buck’s mainstays (Henson, Pachulia, and O’Bryant), then this move should benefit the Bucks and their increasing playoff chances.

But what about Nate Wolters and the supposed “Own the Future” campaign?

Nate Wolters sure did charm Bucks fans last season. His 3.2/1 assist to turnover ratio demonstrated a knack for ball security and overall unselfish play; and though the Bucks trudged through a 15 win nightmare last season, fans noted Wolter’s surprising development as a silver lining (along with the Hi, my name is Giannis, Greek Freak).

But after the additions of Jerryd Bayless and Kendall Marshall, Wolters saw his spot on the depth chart sink from #1 (he started 36 games last season) all the way down to #4. He appeared in only 11 games for the Bucks this season, and played without the rookie swagger he demonstrated last season. With his confidence likely down, his play followed, leading to his expendable designation.

Wolter’s release makes it clear that the “Own the Future” movement isn’t about a blanket commitment to young players in the mold of the 76ers or Timberwolves. But we knew that when the Bucks added Jerryd Bayless, Kendall Marshall and Jared Dudley in the off-season.

“Own the Future” means “Own the development of Knight, Parker, Giannis, and (perhaps) Middleton’s future”–not “let’s develop young players for the sake of developing young players.” That’s a luxury the organization doesn’t have.

The Bucks desperately need to build an arena. In order to do that they need to drum up fan support, and the best way to do that is through winning games and showing promise. We’ve already felt the winds of change in terms of buzz around the team, attendance, and attitude. All of those things needed to happen this season and they have.

So it makes little sense for the organization to commit to a younger player like Nate Wolters (who isn’t even that young at 23) if it means sacrificing wins, right now, and casting the organization’s future into further doubt. Realistically, Nate Wolter’s ceiling is a fringe rotation player. That makes him expendable. He has a future in the NBA, just not with the Bucks.

Are the Bucks another solid piece from serious contention? Yes. Is Nate Wolters that piece? No. Would they find that player in this year’s lottery? Probably not. But what they can do is ensure a playoff birth this season, wait for Parker to get healthy, and hope that Big 3.5 (Knight, Parker, Giannis, and Middleton) continue their rise to greatness.

Milwaukee Bucks stomp inferior 76ers 87-77

The Bucks increase their road winning streak to 5 games against the awful 76ers.

One could try to describe the beat down the Milwaukee Bucks planted on the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night. They would talk about shooting 53.9% and 8-17 from three. They would probably also note the defensive efficiency the Bucks brought, most notably from the bench. They would most certainly mention that the Bucks tossed 32 assists (on 41 made shots!!).

But what really sums up this game is the fact that Nate Wolters entered the game to start the second quarter.

Thanks to a 17-2 run to end the 1st quarter the Bucks took a 27-11 lead into the second. The Bucks scored on 5 consecutive possessions, including 2 three pointers (one from Mayo and Middleton) to end the quarter.

Meanwhile the 76ers looked like a bumbling band of buffoons. They played complacent defense, jogging to shooters instead of closing out, they shot a horrific 30.1%, and they only made 2 three pointers (out of 25!!) good for 8%.

Like the game against the Knicks last week this was the sort of performance that inspires confidence in the idea the Bucks are a quality team instead of overachievers.

In order to be considered a good team you must put a stranglehold on weaker opponents right out of the gates. We saw plenty of that in Milwaukee last season. Plenty. We also learned that if you give a young team hope they often remain pesky the entire way. Stomp the fire out early. And the Milwaukee Bucks did just that

Zaza Pachulia (11p/12r/7a) got the scoring started right off the bat with a vintage Zaza-esque mid range jumper 18 seconds into the game.

You get the sense that after seeing that sort of shot go in, at such a critical juncture in a tight game that the 76ers deflated. “Welp, there goes that one,” the players seemed to say after getting buried in a 2-0 hole.

Brandon Knight’s (18p/3r/5a) uncontested layup on the Bucks next possession was the proverbial dagger. There would be no chance for the 76ers to dig themselves out of a 4-0 hole. Warm up the busses, fire up the grille–the players are sure to be hungry after such a crushing defeat.

All joking aside the 76ers actually managed to reduce that towering 4 point lead to 1 twice…that is…before O.J. Mayo (15p/4r/6a) came off the bench and blew the game wide open with 5 quick points.

The Bucks would eventually take a 27 point lead amid 76ers turnovers, good Bucks shooting, and of course–a virtuoso (6-6) shooting performance from Jerryd Bayless.

The end result was a 97-77 Milwaukee Bucks victory–a final score that would have been wider had the Bucks asserted themselves for 48 minutes instead of tossing alley-oop attempts and choking out the 76ers with their overpowering defense.

At least Giannis Antetokounmpo managed to fill his nightly highlight quota while the game was still interesting.

Three Observations

1. Hidden amid the lopsided score was the fact that the Bucks committed many of their usual sins. They turned the ball over 24 times–8 more times than their average of 16.3 (28th in the league). They allowed 15 offensive rebounds. And they allowed the 76ers to reach the free throw line 29 times. If the 76ers weren’t the 76ers the Bucks would have had a much tighter contest on their hands. Thankfully, the 76ers remain themselves.
2. Khris Middleton turned in another strong performance as the starting SG. He scored 18 points on 7-9 shooting (including 2-2 from three) while grabbing 3 rebounds, tossing 3 assists, and taking 5 (yes FIVE) steals. Middleton’s ability to shoot the three pointer in the starting lineup (he’s .406 on the season) and propensity to light it up at the drop of a hat bolsters his standing as the Buck’s strongest SG option. I would like to see Middleton pass more within the offense (he averages 1.6 per game) instead of attempting to create for himself. There’s a tendency for offensive possessions to end once Middleton touches the ball. If he can learn to better integrate himself into the offense one could begin to make the long-term argument for Khris Middleton’s cornerstone status.
3. How fun has Jerryd Bayless been this season? The answer is very. All season Bayless has brought a steady veteran hand to the Bucks bench. And that floater in the lane is a thing of beauty. Against the 76ers Bayless was a perfect 6-6 en route to 12 points. He was also the beneficiary of this excellent Nate Wolters pass. Recently, he reopened his personal blog where he describes his early experiences with Milwaukee. You can find it HERE.

Looking Ahead

The Bucks are treated to another sub-6 win team Friday night when they host the 5-29 Minnesota Timberwolves at the Bradley Center Friday night. The T-Wolves have won 1 game in their last 19 contests and are perhaps worse off for talent than the 76ers (yikes).

Anthony Bennett has been a disappointment and their leading scorer Kevin Martin could still be out with a hand injury. If that’s the case expect to see a healthy dose of Andrew Wiggins who despite all his physical gifts is not capable of carrying a team. Not yet anyway.

If the Bucks starters don’t get it done like they did tonight then the bench will. Look for the Bucks to run to another relatively easy win before their tune-up against the Chicago Bulls Saturday night.

Envisioning a Future Without Larry Sanders…enter John Henson

Larry Sanders and John Henson. Options 1 and 1a for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The most prominent of the rumors swirling around “embattled” Bucks center Larry Sanders focus on a lack of desire to continue playing basketball.

This story grew longer legs yesterday after Sanders rejoined the team for the first time in 7 games (albeit in street clothes) and addressed the media.

”Without these things being corrected, I don’t think basketball will be something I can even do,” said Larry about his enigmatic struggles.

Many have speculated a major death in the family to be the root of the issue, or perhaps even a drug problem hinted at by his 5 game marijuana suspension last season (and subsequent advocacy). But whatever the issue may be, its becoming clear that Larry Sander’s tenure in Milwaukee is precarious.

Best wishes, Larry Sanders–the Milwaukee Bucks community wishes you well.

Because of the rumors we must imagine the possibility that If Larry Sanders were to leave the team tomorrow, next week, next season, what could it do to the development of the Bucks?

In two words: Not Much. Here’s why.

John Henson. AKA: the Gadget, or Hennessey. Henson stands an even 6’11” 235 lbs. with Larry Sanders (per ESPN) and brings a similar defensive length to the Bucks front-court. They share a bewildering 7’5-6″ wingspan. Physically the two are nearly identical.

But how do those physical gifts translate to the court, and more importantly–wins?

A glimpse at Henson’s Player Efficiency Rating (PER) shows that Henson, when healthy, is a much larger asset to the Bucks than Sanders.

Henson’s PER is a strong 18.13. That’s higher than: Markieff Morris (17.37), Marcin Gortat (17.42) Roy Hibbert (15.97), and the Bucks own Zaza Pachulia (13.79). The league average is 15.

Larry Sander’s PER in the 2014-15 season is 15.36.

Remember his “breakout” season 2 years ago when he posted a maddeningly prodigious 9.8ppg, 9.5rpg and 2.8bpg? Sander’s PER for that 44 million dollar inducing contract was 18.70.

I’m under no delusion that PER is the end-all rating metric that, say, the QBR is (err, maybe not). But put under the same scrutiny Henson came up more than marginally superior to Sanders.

But things in the NBA aren’t as simple as compiling at group of 5 guys with 20+ PER’s and waltzing to a title. Ask the beleaguered Cleveland LeBron Jameses about that strategy.

Things like rebounding, blocking and defensive efficiency are equally important to a team’s bottom line.

Rebounding in particular is an area that the Bucks have struggled with this season. The Bucks rank 23rd in the league with 41.2 per game, while giving up the 22nd most offensive rebounds in the league.

From a numbers standpoint Larry Sanders rebounds better than John Henson. Per 36 minutes Sanders is averaging 10.2rpg, while Henson hauls in 8.7rpg.

DeAndre Jordan, the league’s best rebounder, averages 14.5 rebounds per 36 minutes. So neither Henson or Sanders is a strong rebounding option.

So the long-term viability for either as the Buck’s future center is debatable–and a topic for a different discussion.

But what about blocking? “Doc Block” is surely superior to Henson…right?

Not quite. Sanders earned his reputation as a rim defender through his 2012-13 campaign, a year he averaged 3.7 blocks per 36 minutes.

That 3.7 number is interesting. It’s the size of the V-6 Ford Mustang engine. It’s also Bryan Cranston’s birthday (you know, Heisenberg).

More to the point 3.7 is the number of blocks that John Henson is averaging per 36 minutes this season. In other words, per 36 minutes this season, John Henson is matching Sander’s best season.

Further, Henson’s block percentage–the chance that a player has of blocking a shot each defensive possession, is 8.7%. That’s 1.1% better than Sander’s strongest season, and 3.2% better than Sanders this season (per basketball-reference.com).

The interesting thing about stats is that while you can twist, contort, cram, and package any stat into a ready-made Campbell’s soup can–they will never tell the whole story.

Larry Sanders brings the intangible passion, competitive ferocity, and contagious energy that you want in a star player.

But as far as hard on-court numbers John Henson is an equal if not superior option.

Balanced Bucks Blast Beleaguered ‘Bockers 95-82

Fueled by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s strong play the Bucks run past the listless Knicks

Well, now we know what happens when you remove one of the league’s best scorers from one of the league’s worst teams. Playing without Carmelo Anthony (due to “knee soreness”) and Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks came up short on scoring, size and talent while the Bucks transitioned, shot, and rebounded themselves to their 4th straight road win–their first such run since March, 2012.

From the outset of this game it was clear Jason Kidd wanted Giannis Antetokounmpo to take on an increased role in the offense. Giannis rewarded Kidd by delivering a double-double scoring 16 points on 6-9 shooting with a career high 12 rebounds. Antetokounmpo touched the ball on virtually every first quarter possession necessitating the Knick’s defense to prevent lane penetration.

But instead of forcing the issue and settling for a challenged low-post shot, Giannis sucked the defense in and tossed many confident fast-balls to teammates who, seemingly, don’t want Giannis to tally assists *cough* O’Bryant…*cough* Zaza. But hey, eventually those shots are going to fall. And yes, on the first try.

As a team the Bucks ball movement was excellent as usual, tallying 23 assists on 35 made shots. Quality passes along with unselfish play carried them through the night–perhaps as best seen in this (obligatory) Giannis Antetokounmpo highlight SLAM.

Notice how Brandon Knight (17p/2r/5a) craftily splits the double team to find an open Zaza Pachulia (16p/14r/3a) who would have likely scored, easily, on the 6’6″ Tim Hardaway Jr. But instead of taking the bunny, Zaza passed to a WIDE OPEN Antetokounmpo who did Giannis things to poor Cole Aldrich.

The Bucks bench scored just 28 points (they average a league-best 44.7), including 15 from Kendall Marshall (15p/2r/3a) who had a nonsensical 4th quarter turnaround pseudo jumper/layup that went high off the glass and in.

But this victory wasn’t about lucky shots and emphatic dunks, it was about unselfish offense and defensive eagerness that sucked the life out of New York. Milwaukee allowed just 2 points in the first 3:30 of the 4th quarter as their lead swelled from a comfortable 76-64 advantage to 83-66 before a pair of Knicks free throws.

The Knicks eventually chipped the lead down to 11, but any hope of a comeback was thwarted when Giannis scored 6 straight for Milwaukee down the stretch of the 4th quarter to seal the game.

That, my friends, is progress.

Five Observations

1. Jason Kidd appears to be reasserting his confidence in Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition to running the offense through Giannis, Kidd is allowing Giannis to shoot the 3 pointer again. Giannis rewarded that confidence with a perfect 1-1 mark from deep. Kidd forbidding Giannis from taking the three wasn’t for fear of poor accuracy (we saw Giannis shoot .347 from deep last season) but rather an insistence that Giannis develop his game rather than just settling for the three pointer. Now that Giannis realizes how easily he can get into the paint I would expect Kidd to loosen the reigns, ever so slightly, on Giannis’ outside shooting.
2. Giannis had a great game, but it wasn’t all rainbows & butterflies for the young hero. He sustained this unfortunate facial by Quincy Acy.
   
   Acy’s dunk got the crowd revved up and reduced the lead to 8. But Giannis made sure he got the ball on the Bucks next possession and like a mad man he took it to the rim to draw the foul. He would go 2-2 from the free throw line, effectively thwarting any momentum the Knicks may have gained from that monster dunk. That’s exactly the type of competitive attitude you want see in your young star.
3. The Bucks used their 4 guard lineup for a good portion of the game, with Dudley playing the PF position when the Bucks went small. Dudley didn’t look as fluid at the 4 as Giannis (who hauled in a career high 12 rebounds) but was able to provide a reasonably stout defensive presence nonetheless. This lineup was able to preserve Milwaukee’s 2nd quarter lead and bought time for Henson and Pachulia (who were in early foul trouble) until they reached halftime. RIght now Johnny O’Bryant is the Bucks only available true PF–but with Kidd wisely limiting the rookie’s minutes we may see more of the 4 guard lineup. Which may not be a bad thing. They looked quick and crisp (if a little porous defensively).
4. John Henson managed to tally 5 fouls in only 11 minutes of action–a foul rate so absurd it’s almost impressive. Almost. Since returning from his sprained foot,Henson has played very well, scoring 8 points, 5.5 rebounds. and 2.6 blocks in just under 20 minutes. If Larry Sanders is to miss an extended period of time the Bucks will need Henson to be available to them. He simply can’t commit the silly fouls he did tonight. The Bucks are better defensively when he’s on the court–but in order to do that he needs, you know, to be on the court. Please only take smart fouls from here on out, Henson.
5. The Bucks turned the ball over at an alarming rate (again). Their 6 first quarter gifts helped keep the Knicks in the game early. Perhaps the Bucks approached this game with a cavalier attitude, knowing the…um…disastrous nature of this Knicks team and their current lack of weapons. Perhaps the Bucks were served bad saltines on their flight to New York and came out sluggish as their bellied digested the rotten crackers. Either way the Bucks were terrible with the ball early. Credit the Bucks with gradually pulling ahead of the Knicks over the final 3 quarters, but you really wanted to see some early dominance from Milwaukee.

Looking Ahead

The Bucks have Monday off before hosting the Phoenix Suns (20-16) at the Bradley Center on Tuesday. The Suns blasted the Toronto Raptors 125-109 tonight, knocking them out of first place in the Eastern Conference. So you can expect to see a strong, focused attack from the Suns. If Ilyasova continues to be unavailable the Bucks will have major problems stopping the Morris brothers from wreaking havoc on their defense. In order for the Bucks to win they will need to shoot at a prodigious percentage and find a way to limit the Morris brothers.

Whats furthers the concern is the fact that Milwaukee has virtually no bench advantage over the Suns (who have the #2 bench in the league). The Bucks general strategy this season is the play toe to toe with opposing starters and let the bench annihilate the opposition. Things won’t be that simple.

Plus, I get the feeling the Suns will want to avenge their loss to Milwaukee earlier this season. A loss that notably came on this lucky clutch Khris Middleton three pointer.

Stay Away, Kenyon Martin! Far Away!!

I would rather have Walter White than this guy–at least “Heisenberg” is good at chemistry

It has been reported by an unspecified source that Jason Kidd invited his old playing buddy Kenyon Martin to work out for the Bucks Tuesday afternoon. Kidd and Martin anchored 2 NBA Finals appearances with the New Jersey Nets (02,03) but lost both times. The two played together again in New York during the 12-13 season.

So Jason Kidd knows Martin on a personal level better than most. But could his faith be misplaced? Martin was, after all, known as the locker room cancer sort who catered to his own interests instead of those of the team.

From a position standpoint the move would make sense. With Jabari Parker lost for the season and Ersan Ilyasova missing time with a 2nd concussion in 2 months the Bucks are thinning at the PF position. So the Bucks may only be looking to sign the 6-9, 225 pound Martin as an insurance policy should, heaven forbid, Johnny O’Bryant miss more time.

If Martin does get an offer, I would expect a short-term contract (teams can begin offering 10-day contracts starting January 5th) until Ilyasova has a clean bill of health.

The problem with someone like Kenyon Martin is…well…he brings this sort of negative energy to teams.

I understand that the now 37 year old Kenyon Martin probably doesn’t still treat people the way he does in these obviously negative-framing videos. But is that something Jason Kidd should risk exposing to his young team?

Hell no! That would be like coming home after a late night, scouring the refrigerator until you find that 2 week old piece of chicken breast that you’ve long forgotten about. You know that you shouldn’t eat it, but your body craves the sultry barbecue sauce that you so carefully applied weeks ago. In a moment of poor judgment you heat it up and eat it. And it tastes great. “I am an immortal golden chicken god,” you think to yourself.

But when you develop gradually worsening diarrhea, stomach pain, and abdominal cramps you realize that you willfully ingested Salmonella.

“I am no golden god,” you think. “I am a foolish fool who foolhardily ate bad food.”

Don’t eat bad chicken, Milwaukee Bucks. Don’t invite a player with a history of bad attitudes into your positive locker room.

Don’t give yourself salmonella. Sign someone like Ivan Johnson, or D.J. White instead.

Bucks offense stalls as Hawks deny sweep

Giannis and the Bucks struggle down the stretch as Jeff Teague’s Hawks take the win

The Bucks nearly pulled off the inconceivable–a home and home sweep of Eastern Conference power Atlanta Hawks. Fueled by another strong bench performance (56 points) the Bucks were competitive until the very end–a conclusion that saw the Bucks take bad shots, miss good shots, and turn the ball over. The Hawks took advantage of Milwaukee’s late miscues and sealed the game away with 10 points from Jeff Teague (25p/8r/7a) in the last 3:15.

There was no Johnny O’Bryant shooting barrage to open the game, no perfection from Jared Dudley, and no superior effort on this night as the Hawks played strong from the opening tip with an engulfing defense and effective shot selection. Fueled by this noticeable uptick in effort they jumped out to a 13-3 lead forcing a Jason Kidd timeout and changing the Bradley Center buzz to a shell-shocked murmur.

The Bucks would go on to score just 10 points in the entire 1st quarter.

But while the offense stalled the Bucks defense locked it down like the Bellagio. No, seriously. Things were air-tight.

From the 5:20 mark in the 1st quarter to the 7:22 mark in the 2nd the Hawks scored just 2 points. During the (roughly) 10-minute stretch John Henson (5p/5r/5b) swatted away 3 Hawks attempts and anchored a Bucks defense that was without the services of Doc Block for the second straight night.

The Bucks went on to take a 3 point lead on a Jared Dudley (9p/5r/5a) three pointer. But without Henson on the floor to close the second quarter the Hawks, led by Al Horford (20p/9r/4a) were able to penetrate the Bucks defense and get quality looks at the rim.

It’s worth noting that the Hawks grabbed 7 (!!!) offensive rebounds in the second quarter. The problem with offensive rebounds is they almost always end in points. Getting a stop in the NBA is difficult enough–but when you’re giving up offensive rebounds your defense strains (not to mention disheartens) as open 3 point shots, and easy layups become easier.

Rebounding should be priority #1 on the Bucks off-season shopping list. Allowing 17 offensive rebounds won’t get you to championships. Hell, it would get you blown out most nights.

But the Bucks played even with the Hawks through the 4th quarter–even taking a 73-72 lead on a Khris Middleton (21p/5r/1a) jumper. The Bucks would get a steal the next time down the court but Khris Middleton took the fast-break and dribbled the ball off his thigh. Sigh.

Should Middleton score there the Bucks would have claimed a 3 point lead and possibly used that momentum to build a big lead. Instead, Al Horford hit one of those top of the key jumpers he’s so fond of as the Hawks reclaimed the league dousing any potential game winning Milwaukee run.

That’s how quickly things can change in the NBA. Last night’s demolition of Atlanta gave this game the feel of one that was played with house money. The Hawks are, after all, the hottest team in the NBA winning 14 of 16 including the loss against the Bucks last night. So getting at least 1 win against this top team felt like a major victory.

But this was one of those games that the Bucks could have taken–they just needed to reach out and grab it. So while it’s great the Bucks came up with such a big road win last night, the 2 game mini-series will likely leave the Bucks with a nasty taste in their mouths while we all ponder what could have been.

Five Observations

1. The Bucks went with the starting five of Marshall, Knight, Antetokounmpo, O’Bryant, and Pachulia again tonight. The interesting thing about this lineup is the usage of Knight at the 2 position. And you know what? I hated it. The strength of Knight’s game is getting to the rim from the top of the key–not as the catch and shoot role he assumes when he’s playing the 2. His tepid stat line of 10 points on 4-12 shooting with a +/- of -28 is what happens when you take a player out of his comfort zone. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jared Dudley re-enter the starting lineup at the 2 which would allow Knight to slide back to the 1.
2. The Bucks starting unit was terrible. I know that +/- is a misleading stat but it also can’t be ignored. Tonight the Bucks starters were: -15, -4, -28, -25, and -29. Meanwhile the bench was: +14, +1, +25 (Bayless), +18, and +18. This presents a troubling thought. Aside from Giannis, Knight, and (perhaps) Middleton this team is full of veterans. Veterans should hold a young team afloat–not carry them to glory. Can a player like Jerryd Bayless be on a championship-calibur team? Sure. He’s absolutely good enough. But is he a key player in a championship starting 5? No. The scary notion is that this team is being built like the 8th seeds of Milwaukee Bucks past–with journeyman veterans who are good, but not otherworldly. I hope that’s not the case with this team.
3. Giannis is hitting a bit of a sophomore slump. He struggled to score 5 points on 2-5 shooting with 4 turnovers and 4 fouls. The problem with his game right now is that he’s playing limited basketball. What do I mean by that? Basically he’s still only valuable offensively when hes going to the basket and using his length to finish at the rim. But the Hawks took that away from him by simply getting in his way and double teaming his euro-step with Al Horford. You know what would make Giannis better? TAKE THE OPEN JUMPER. Just once, just for a second, just to see how it feels. Even if the shot doesn’t fall at least the defense has to acknowledge it as a threat and that will open things up for Giannis’ penetrating dribble.
4. WIth the Bucks up 3 points late in the second quarter during a 3 on 3 fast break Jason Kidd called a timeout. Why? Because a Hawks player had injured himself and was slow to get up. Initially this was confusing but I think I get the message that Kidd wanted his team to take away from the timeout–a win is empty if you’re not getting the opponent’s best shot. This is the sort of thing that can help a young team with their development–learning that nothing is easy.
5. Jabari Parker was presented with a “Get well soon, Jabari” banner that was CRAMMED with fan messages wishing him well. He seemed to be in good spirits, but that doesn’t make it any easier seeing him in street clothes every night. Sigh. Get well soon, Jabari, indeed.

Looking Ahead

The Bucks travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets for the third time this season. The Bucks are 0-2 against Charlotte so far, as they haven’t been able to find an answer for Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson. Their last meeting in Milwaukee on Dec. 23rd saw the Bucks take a 2 point halftime lead only to be outscored in the third quarter by ten. If there’s anything we’ve learned about the Hornets this season is that they are as streaky as a team can be. The Bucks will have to play top-level defense for 48 minutes, and avoid offensive slumps. If Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders are available the Bucks should be able to rebound more effectively than they did against the Hawks tonight.

Bucks waste 34 from B. Knight in 108-101 loss to Hornets

This noted Bucks killer got the better part of Milwaukee for the 2nd time this season

It was a night of firsts: the first night back for Ersan Ilyasova after suffering a nasal contusion 9 games ago, the first time a Bucks player went over 30 this season, and the first home game in the post-Jabari Parker era of the season.

It was also the first time this Bucks team raised serious questions about whether or not they are capable competing long-term sans Jabari Parker.

What evidence you say? Look no farther than the 34-24 clunker of a 3rd quarter they put up–a period in which O.J. Mayo AND Larry Sanders earned completely unnecessary technical fouls. Look at the 5 turnovers the Bucks committed, and the 5 offensive rebounds the Bucks allowed. The missed shots and general offensive inability made a souring situation downright rotten.

Brandon Knight–the lone bright spot of the evening scored just 5 points (of his 34) in the quarter. Therein lies the problem with this team going forward–Brandon Knight can’t be expected to come up with scoring every.single.time the team needs a shot. Not to say that Knight hasn’t been great, he really has. But someone else needs to be able to make a big shot when the team is enduring a massive run.

This team lacks an offensively talented center. The Buck’s centers combined for 8 points on 2-12 shooting–and that’s not counting the good passes that bounced off of Larry’s concrete hands, or the back-to-back zingers that Zaza passed to the camera men late in the 3rd quarter.

Larry Sanders is superb defensively–a true asset. But he is a liability offensively. He gives maximum effort almost all the time–but the number of bunnies he misses at the basket? Bad.

And when Zaza is missing midrange shots and throwing bad passes the Bucks simply struggle at the position.

If the end game for this team is to win a championship (duh) they will need a rebounding center with consistent offensive ability. I would expect the Buck’s brass to look for stronger center play in this off-season’s draft. Larry is a keeper, no doubt. But perhaps his abilities would be better suited in coming off the bench? His struggles in the paint this season just don’t merit starting center status in today’s NBA.

Five Observations

1. Brandon Knight continues to demonstrate why he deserves a near-max contract extension this off-season. His 34 points set the high water mark for Buck’s scoring this season–a mark that came on 13-21 shooting and 4-7 from downtown. He’s still the Bucks only consistent scoring threat. For instance, in the 3rd quarter when the Bucks went down 71-64 it was Brandon Knight who hit a 3 pointer to tighten the score 71-67. You know what’s interesting about BK hitting that shot? He stopped an 8-0 Hornets run and kept the game from getting out of hand. If you ever happen to read this Brandon–keep shooting. The Bucks are better when you’re the most aggressive player on the court.
2. The Hornets scored 2 fast break points. 2.  A pair. Aces in the hole. Duece. you get the point. Meanwhile the Bucks scored the usual 25 while running the break. So what was the difference in the game that saw the Bucks so dominant in transition? Turnovers (20-12), Free throws (28-25), and frieking Kemba Walker who again was a Bucks killer. His +9 was the best +/- of any player for either team, with each of his 27 points seemingly coming at the absolute worst time for the Bucks. Kemba absolutely crushed the Bucks opening night so this the Kemba Walker threat is clearly going to be a threat whenever the Bucks play the Hornets.
3. Ersan played his first game since Dec. 2nd. And he looked pretty bad. He missed a first half dunk, all 3 of his three pointers (including an open one down the stretch), and he turned the ball over twice. You wouldn’t have expect him to set the world on fire–like the way he was playing before the injury. But that? That wasn’t good. His shots were mostly coming up short and he looked dazed and confused on both sides of the ball. Once he gets his sailor’s legs back he should be able to put up more serviceable numbers–but until he adjusts to both his mask and the speed of the NBA game expect stat-lines similar to tonight’s: 4 points on 2-8 shooting with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers.
4. Late in the 2nd quarter Al Jefferson missed a 6 foot shot. The ball careened into the paint–a painted area that contained 5 Bucks players (or, you know, the complete team) and 1 Hornets player. You can probably guess the result. The Hornets player…Marvin Williams perhaps? Managed the tap the ball out to the three point line where it was recovered by a Charlotte player. You have to like the Bucks gathering in the paint for what should have been a team rebound, but the fact that 5 Bucks players couldn’t collect the rebound? Bad. Really, really bad. Rebounding has been a sore spot for the Bucks this entire season–a weakness emphatically demonstrated on that play.
5. 14,653 fans entered the Bradley Center on a Tuesday night. Granted, it is the night before Christmas Eve and the Bucks have been playing well of late–but that’s a great number for a game against a lower rung team in the Eastern Conference on a weeknight. Jim and John credited a higher level buzz amid the pregame crowd. Fan support has never been a problem for the Milwaukee Bucks–so long as the team is competitive and exciting. This is no different. Look for attendance numbers to rise alongside the bulging win total.

Tonight’s Stud

Brandon Knight. Dude is just ridiculous right now. Over his last 5 games he’s averaging 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4 assists, and .8 steals (including 37 points on 13-21 shooting tonight). While those aren’t quite hall of fame numbers they’re still really damn good. All-star good. As the all-star game approaches you can expect Brandon Knight’s name to be thrown into the ring but he can’t seriously compete by virtue of being a Milwaukee Buck. But we, as fans, are privy to something that the rest of the league will be well aware of in about one year. The Milwaukee Bucks have a bona fide stud at point guard.

Tonight’s Dud

O.J. Mayo continues to regress. The problem is that whenever he gets the ball you get the feeling that the play will end with a Mayo field goal attempt. AKA–possessions end whenever he touches the ball. Throw in his completely uncalled for technical foul in the third quarter and you’re going to end up in this column. Mayo’s easy to love when he’s playing well–but the days of good O.J. are still in week 2. He’s not exactly been stalwart defensively either, making you question why he’s still in the starting rotation.

Looking Forward

The Bucks take on the Atlanta Hawks for a home-and-home series on back to back nights. Right now the Hawks are, perhaps, playing the best basketball in the Eastern Conference. If you can split the series you’re doing really good–especially against a team you hope to be able to routinely beat in the not-so-distant future.