Jabari Parker, PF
6 Points| 3-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | -6 |
Jabari Parker started the game with a string of impressive cuts to the basket. His ability to get the rim is his greatest strength. Unfortunately he was unable convert some easy layups early, eventually settling for wild-looking attempts. He also missed a wide-open three pointer. Things will slow down for him as the Bucks enter the meat of the mid-season schedule. He will get there, there’s just a long way to go. D+
Larry Sanders, C
5 Points| 2-6 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 4 BLK | 0 TO | -13 |
Things must be really tough for Larry right now–having to watch from the bench while his minutes are being limited due to that nagging hip injury. The Buck’s interior defense clearly struggles without Larry on the floor. In his 17 minutes he was able to ring up 4 blocks and effectively close the paint to the Wizards. His 1st quarter annihilation of a Paul Pierce dunk attempt turned into a transition 3 and sparked the Bradley Center crowd. B
Brandon Knight, PG
27 Points| 10-18 FG | 4-5 FT | 5 REB | 6 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 5 TO |-10|
Brandon Knight’s offensive ability was on full showcase against the Wizards: he shot 3’s (3-5), got into the paint, and had a good mid-range jumper all night. When he entered the game in the 4th quarter he scored 8 lightning-fast points forcing a Wizards time-out. Right now he’s the Buck’s best scoring option in big moments. The downside to his game is ball-security. He committed a turnover late in the 4th, and his 5 turnovers lead the team. B+
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF/ PF
20 Points| 6-11 FG | 8-8 FT | 4 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | -10 |
Giannis’ rise to Milwaukee’s #2 scoring option feels like it happened overnight. He’s getting into the paint at will, and is learning to use his length for a towering advantage. He had a 4th quarter and-1 going to his right side and scoring while he was parallel to the rim. There’s no stopping that. The stat that really pops out about Giannis’ game was his 8-8 FT. If he continues this level of play, and he will, he should be a series most improved player candidate. B+
Khris Middleton, SF/ PF
3 Points | 1-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | -2 |
Well, he made that momentum-building 1st quarter 3 off the Larry Sanders block. After that he didn’t really contribute anything. Down 7 late in the 4th he missed a layup at the basket when the team really really needed it. The Wizard’s next possession ended in with a Paul Pierce 3–effectively sealing the game. If he makes that shot the Bucks would have had a serious chance at winning the game. This is a performance you want to forget. D
O.J. Mayo, SG
10 Points | 4-9 FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | -9 |
An overlooked element of Mayo’s game is his ability to move the ball. His scoring ability really opens things up for his teammates. The problem is that when he’s sharing the floor with Bayless, Zaza, Ilyasova, and Henson he’s the only scoring threat. This causes him to take shots early in the shot clock and negatively affect the flow of the game, stressing the Buck’s defense. Having said that, he’s a major cog in the Buck’s bench and has accepted the role of 6th man. B-
John Henson, C
0 Points | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | +0 |
What happened to Henson? There must be something going on behind the scenes causing his playing time to be cut off. While he’s not the best offensive player, he’s a long and fundamental defender. Perhaps his rebounding ability, or lack thereof is responsible for his lost minutes. I still feel that he can be a good player in this league if given the opportunity because his talent is apparent. He just has the look of Tobias Harris version 2. NA
Zaza Pachulia, C
6 Points | 3-8 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | +0 |
Zaza has thankfully found his mid range jumper. He’s gotten back to being consistent with that shot which aids the Buck’s offense. Seeing as he’s not much of a post scoring threat this is an important element of his game. He hit an important 8 foot jumper that reduced the Wizard’s lead to 9 late in the 4th. The problem was that Kris frieking Humphries was allowed to go off in the 4th quarter. As the anchor of the defense Zaza cannot allow that to happen. Ever. C+
Ersan Ilyasova, PF
13 Points | 5-8 FG | 3-4 FT | 5 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | +4 |
Ersan has really elevated his game this past week or so. He’s hitting his jumper right now and stretching the floor with good 3 point shooting. He had a pump fake at the three point line, took two dribbles toward the paint and found Brandon Knight under the hoop for an easy layup. This is the sort of play that makes NBA GMs salivate. Ersan’s entire game stems from his ability to shoot the jumper. And right now it looks really good. Let’s hope it stays that way. A-
Jerryd Bayless, PG
6 Points | 2-3 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | +12 |
Bayless was his typical self, securing the ball and playing good defense. He was also the trailer on Zaza’s impressive behind the back no look assist on the fast break. He threw it down for the monster jam and in doing so caused me to draw a deep breath…Would there be any post-dunk penalty this time? Fortunately he just shouted to himself and ran up court. Phew. B
Jared Dudley, SG
5 Points | 1-2 FG | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | -1 |
It was interesting to see Dudley getting crunch time minutes. The problem with his performance last night is a microcosm of the bigger problem this season. He’s just invisible. For that reason it’s tough to understand why Kidd would go with Dudley with the game hanging in the balance. Now that he’s getting less minutes, his role on this team is easier to understand. Right now his role is to hit a 3 pointer every now and then. C+
Nate Wolters, PG
0 Points | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | +0 |
In the event a rotation player getting hurt we could see more jackrabbit minutes. He provides depth and seems to play well in bigger moments. His problem is similar to John Henson’s–it’s not that they are bad players, its just that they play at positions of superior depth. Nate Wolters has shown an ability to be a solid rotation player in this league, but with the way Bayless is playing it’s hard to envision Wolters getting big minutes . NA
Jason Kidd, Coach
Credit Jason Kidd with getting his guys pumped up for this game after Friday night’s letdown. The Bucks started the game with superior energy and showed flashes of the team they could become. Where he struggled was early in the 3rd quarter when the Bucks started the half with 0-9 shooting. With the lead evaporated, and the defense faltering he needs to run set plays that will generate points. When the Bucks did finally stop the bleeding they were in a hole that they couldn’t climb out of. Perhaps getting Mayo in sooner was the answer. Perhaps running a play for Giannis. Right now the Buck’s offense is their weakest part–that will have to improve if the Bucks want to be successful this season. C
Bango Crossing 