Milwaukee Bucks Best and Worst: December 15 - 23

Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

In this week’s edition of the Best and Worst, we look at the Bucks’ national media attention, Malcolm Brogdon‘s poster dunks, and the continued emergence of Jabari Parker.

Welcome to the Milwaukee Bucks’ Best and Worst, a semi-regular column that will look back on some of the most encouraging and discouraging events we’ve seen in recent games.

We will focus on more overarching trends and statistical positives and negatives than simple game-by-game analysis. The hope here is that by taking a step back, we can avoid short-term overreaction and focus on more encompassing issues.

Consider this the interdivisional edition of our Best and Worst, as the Bucks recently finished up two back-to-back series against both the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Considering the status these two teams occupy, going 2-2 over the four games is certainly acceptable, especially when factoring in how the games went.

With their first national television appearance of the season and some Vine-worthy highlights to boot, there’s plenty to talk about regarding the Bucks’ week, so without further ado, let’s get into it!

Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Best: Prime-Time Players

Aside from the prospect of handing their rivals a loss in their first matchup of the season, last Thursday’s tilt against the Chicago Bulls was extra-special for the Bucks.

The game was being broadcast nationally as part of TNT’s regular Thursday night slate, and given how rare an occurrence this was for Milwaukee, it was important that the franchise put their collective best foot forward to those watching them at home for the first time.

Much to the delight of Bucks’ die-hards, the team did just that, dominating Chicago from start to finish in a 108-97 blowout that was not nearly as close as the score would indicate.

Obviously the win was the main goal, but along with their performance the Bucks surely gained some attention and clout around league circles. This should come as a huge relief to those of us who have been extolling the young Bucks outside of the Milwaukee area.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have the type of thrilling, high-flying playstyles that entice viewers to watch regardless of their market, and once the rest of the roster catches up in terms of team success, Milwaukee just might be home to one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.

Even though the Bucks play only twice more on national TV this season (the next being a January 6 bout with the New York Knicks), it’s safe to say that we will be seeing much more of Giannis and Jabari in a national setting going forward.

Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Best: Playoff-Preview Back-To-Backs

Looking at the schedule beforehand, I wasn’t sure how I would feel regarding the home-and-home, two-game back-to-backs the Bucks were set to play in, but consider me a definite fan having watched them.

Each set has the intense feel of a miniature playoff series, and what the players and coaching staff can do in a short time to adjust from game to game is put wholly on display.

After dominating the Bulls in two straight, the Bucks were then slated to face the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. Given that the Bucks had embarrassed the Cavs with a 17-point loss earlier this season, there was no way that Milwaukee would sneak up on their opponents.

Even so, the Bucks seem to match up well with the Cavs, nearly winning the first game and hanging tough for most of the second before ultimately succumbing to Kyrie Irving and company.

The physicality and pressure of these games was very different from what’s seen in a normal regular-season meeting, and given the respective records of both teams, talk of a potential 1-vs-8 seed playoff matchup abounded.

Should the Bucks make the playoffs (FiveThirtyEight has them at 56 percent odds), it would be at the least a great opportunity for a younger roster to get a real taste of playoff action. Players like Giannis and John Henson have been there before, but not in the larger role they now occupy.

What makes the possibility of a Cavaliers matchup all the more intriguing, however, are the comments made by Irving and James following the second night they squared off against the Bucks.

Irving acknowledged the possibility of a series, but seemed to dismiss it as an easy sweep, while LeBron seemed to throw shots at Giannis and Jabari. The comments don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but the fact that the Bucks were able to get under the skin of the champs says a lot about the way they play.

Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Best: Malcolm Brogdon, With Authority!

Once seemed like a fluke.

The second dunk caught our attention.

But the third time, a posterization of none other than Lebron James? Malcolm Brogdon almost reached Giannis levels of Vine fame.

That dunk had to be one of the most unexpected plays in recent Bucks history, and although regular occurrences like it should not be expected out of the rookie, it does give us a nice opportunity to discuss just how good Brogdon has been.

Just 27 games into his career, he’s already become an integral part of the Bucks’ rotation, playing in 21.5 minutes per game. This places him fifth on the team, ahead of starter Tony Snell.

Per-game averages of 7.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists don’t blow anyone away, but what does is the poise and general savvy with which the former Virginia Cavalier plays.

Brogdon has translated his collegiate talents to the faster and more athletic NBA, bringing his three-point shooting percentage up to .417 after a slow start and even splitting his minutes between the two-guard and the point, the latter of which he did not play at Virginia.

Should Snell hit a slump or become injured, Brogdon would certainly be the favorite to take his place in the starting lineup. We won’t know much regarding Thon Maker for a while, but the Bucks’ 2016 draft class is so far a resounding success.

Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Best: Jabari Taking Over

In between the Bulls and Cavaliers series, I wrote a piece profiling Jabari Parker as a burgeoning star and go-to scorer. Luckily for both myself and the Bucks, he played well enough in the two games versus the Cavs to validate nearly everything I mentioned as well as deserve some follow-up recognition here.

Against the Cavaliers, Jabari went off for 30 and 27 points respectively, shooting a combined 24-of-45 (53 percent). Giannis struggled to get things going in the first game, and the Bucks would have surely lost by a large margin if it were not for Parker carrying the load on offense.

Jabari hit several key shots that night, including this bucket that wound up sending the game to overtime.

Parker’s physicality was so dominant that the Cavs switched center Tristan Thompson onto him at one point, leaving LeBron to defend John Henson.

In games previous, Giannis’ play more or less dictated the team’s result – if he didn’t have a good game, the Bucks would not win. Now, it looks like the Bucks have two scorers capable of taking over a game, an essential quality to have if they hope to succeed going forward.

Jabari was already a rising star before this week, but his play on a big stage and against a big opponent only further proves that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Worst: The Threes Are Coming

Even though the Bucks have lagged behind the rest of the league in terms of adapting new trends, there’s no doubt that the three-point shot has taken over the game.

Long distance attempts account for nearly 45 percent of the Houston Rockets total shot attempts, which leads the league, although the Cavaliers are not far behind at just under 40. Many of the league’s top contenders (think Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs) are similarly reliant on the long ball as an important and efficient part of their game.

Teams have constructed their rosters accordingly, focusing on wings able to space the floor as ancillary pieces to their primary scorers. This means, of course, that the Bucks will need to defend the three-point line well if they have any hope of success.

As it stands now, the Bucks rank 24th in terms of opponent three-point attempts, but place fourth in terms of opponent three-point percentage. In other words, other teams are getting tons of looks but not converting them.

Some of this effect can be chalked up to Milwaukee’s length, which allows them to contest and alter shots other players have no hope of reaching, but the disparity here is too large to ignore. At some point, it stands to reason that the shots will start to fall, as they did against the Cavs.

Altogether, Cleveland shot 32-for-67 (48 percent) from behind the arc, which was a huge factor behind their victories. They’re more of an outlier in terms of proficiency behind the arc, but the Bucks should take steps to ensure that their three-point defense remains confusingly elite.

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Worst: We Miss Khris

This sentiment could obviously be applied to any point in the season the Bucks find themselves in need of the talents injured guard Khris Middleton possesses, but his absence was particularly obvious on Wednesday night.

It’s no secret Giannis and Jabari are the main offensive creators on the roster, but what became striking to me was how stagnant the offense became without either of the two on the floor.

None of the Bucks guards operate as a slasher, which usually puts the burden on Michael Beasley to generate offense for the bench. Although his usage rate remains nearly constant through both scenarios, Beasley’s offensive rating shoots up to 110 from 97 when playing without Antetokounmpo or Parker.

Of course, the Bucks were without Beasley the last handful of games, and as a result of that, their bench has struggled. No player save for Giannis, Jabari, or Brogdon so much as hit double figures on Wednesday night – obviously a large reason for the Bucks’ defeat.

Upon Khris Middleton’s return (which reports suggest could be later this season), Jason Kidd will have greater freedom in staggering his rotations without losing scoring balance. Until then, the Bucks lineup will precariously depend on the talents of a few.

That’s it for this week, make sure to check back soon for another edition of the Best and Worst!

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