GT: 3/8/17 Bucks vs. Knicks (7pm CST - FS-WI)

[Max Green]

MILWAUKEE -- Malcolm Brogdon will remain in the starting lineup Wednesday when the Milwaukee Bucks kick off a three-game homestand against the New York Knicks at the Bradley Center.

Brogdon has been a big contributor for the Bucks and one of the best rookies in the game. He leads all first-year players with a 42.8 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc -- seventh overall in the league -- and is averaging 10.0 points and 4.1 assists, putting him third and first, respectively, among rookies.

So it's no surprise then that Brogdon, a second-round pick in last summer's draft, has started to earn consideration for Rookie of the Year honors, along with Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, both of the Philadelphia 76ers.

"I think Embiid is a very special, talented player," Bucks coach Jason Kidd told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If he was playing he probably would have run away with it, because he is a dominant player.

"This isn't up to me; the writers get to vote. It will be interesting. I think there's a lot of great basketball talk around the water cooler or in the barber shop about rookie of the year, the MVP race.

"It just shows the state of the game is in a good place."

The award would be nice, but Brogdon has other goals in mind.

"I don't actually care," Brogdon told the paper. "I don't worry about it. All I care about is making the playoffs.

Milwaukee is still trying to chase down a postseason spot but has done much to help its cause, winning three straight and seven of its last 10 contests. That leaves the Bucks in 10th place, 1 1/2 games behind Chicago for the eighth and final spot but only 2 1/2 games out of sixth place in the league.

With three straight games at home, the Bucks have a chance to make a move.

"It's going to be 6 through 12; you look at those teams and they're all right there," Kidd said. "Everybody is going to start playing each other from here on out. Every game means something. We go out west and those games are important, too.

"We can only control what we do. We can't control what other teams are doing."

The Knicks come to Milwaukee 12th in the East, 5 1/2 games behind the Bulls and are likely jockeying more for ping pong balls than postseason positioning. They're riding high after rallying late for a 113-105 victory Monday at Atlanta which snapped a two-game losing streak.

New York played that game without forward Carmelo Anthony, who sat out with a sore left knee. The Knicks had their lost 12 straight games without Anthony in the lineup.

He expects to return to action Wednesday.

"It was just better for me to just rest it and get these days," he told the New York Daily News.

The Knicks have won four of the last five season series against the Bucks. The teams have spilt the first two meetings this season, with each winning on its own home court.

[paulpressey25]

Ron Baker started the slide in the second Knicks game. Wondering if he'll repeat it tomorrow.

[trwi7]

Malcolm Brogdon's got nothing on Malcolm Turner.

[PANDEMONEUM]

13-7 in the final 20 games gets the Bucks to 42-40

i prefer 7-13, which would get us a top 10 pick

[HKPackFan]

OK fine. I'm changing my mind (might change it again by halftime...)





Let's do dis.

[blazza18]

Corner threes, Ron Baker and Zinger in Giannis' head. Good thing we have Midds back.

[Prince12]

The game we lost Zinger was fouled out very early and so was Noah for that matter. Little Luke Skywalker led the knicks to victory while former knick Brandon Jennings pouted on the bench.

Anyway, we will win this.

[The Lazy Potato]

Corner threes, Ron Baker and Zinger in Giannis' head. Good thing we have Midds back.

well Giannis is not perfect but he is still our best player by far.

[VooDoo7]

13-7 in the final 20 games gets the Bucks to 42-40

i prefer 7-13, which would get us a top 10 pick

I doubt going 7-13 gets us a top 10 pick. Unless you're counting on the other teams finishing strong.

[Chuck Diesel]

Really need this one.

[ackypoo]

Really need this one.

[Wisky4life]

We are so close to having a great pick or being 6th seed in playoffs. I think we win this one and will probably be a seed in the playoffs. It won't help us in draft terms but keeps our trend of being average alive!!!

[Gianstoppable]

If we want to win, dont play Henson, if we want to lose, play Henson.

I am sure this stat has been out there now, forgive for not fact checking 100% but Bucks are 7-0 in the last 7 games Henson received a DNP, we are 0-5 in the last 5 hes even been on the court for a minute.

[Gianstoppable]

We are so close to having a great pick or being 6th seed in playoffs. I think we win this one and will probably be a seed in the playoffs. It won't help us in draft terms but keeps our trend of being average alive!!!

Shows you how bad the East still is, losing records in the playoffs yet again. smh, NBA lets way too many teams into the playoffs

[Shaffty]

This would be a CLASSIC Bucks L

But the question I want answered is will Giannis add winning to his tool belt post ASB like he added STATS!!! last years post ASB

[vtime]

You have a top 10 player in the league and he wants to win and gives his all. You don't tank for a pick that you might get wrong. You don't tank for Joe Alexander. You have enough young pieces. Usually the Bucks are chasing an 8th seed with vets, this team is young and maturing. They could follow the paths of OKC and Golden State as they had young stars and emerged from low playoff seeds to eventually advancing multiple rounds. Those old Bucks teams that were low seeds didn't have superstars, they were lead by Brandon Jennings and most recently Knight until traded. Middleton carried them the rest of that season of course so he's big time as well. You want to win with those guys NOW!

[KidA24]

You have a top 10 player in the league and he wants to win and gives his all. You don't tank for a pick that you might get wrong. You don't tank for Joe Alexander. You have enough young pieces. Usually the Bucks are chasing an 8th seed with vets, this team is young and maturing. They could follow the paths of OKC and Golden State as they had young stars and emerged from low playoff seeds to eventually advancing multiple rounds. Those old Bucks teams that were low seeds didn't have superstars, they were lead by Brandon Jennings and most recently Knight until traded. Middleton carried them the rest of that season of course so he's big time as well. You want to win with those guys NOW!

What young pieces do they have to go along with Giannis?
In 2 years, when the new arena opens up, who do they have?
Thon, Middleton, Henson, Dellavedova and Brogdon? Hooray?

[Ron Swanson]

Win these next 3 at home and then maybe I'll start to believe that this team can do something in the playoffs.

[Gianstoppable]

You have a top 10 player in the league and he wants to win and gives his all. You don't tank for a pick that you might get wrong. You don't tank for Joe Alexander. You have enough young pieces. Usually the Bucks are chasing an 8th seed with vets, this team is young and maturing. They could follow the paths of OKC and Golden State as they had young stars and emerged from low playoff seeds to eventually advancing multiple rounds. Those old Bucks teams that were low seeds didn't have superstars, they were lead by Brandon Jennings and most recently Knight until traded. Middleton carried them the rest of that season of course so he's big time as well. You want to win with those guys NOW!

What young pieces do they have to go along with Giannis?
In 2 years, when the new arena opens up, who do they have?
Thon, Middleton, Henson, Dellavedova and Brogdon? Hooray?

What young pieces do they have? Lets see, almost everybody but JET. You could do the same for 90% of teams out there by saying "Yeah but in 2 years who will be here" thats 2 drafts, 2 trade deadlines, 2 offseasons. We already have a superstar, Jabari could come back from this and be productive at that point, Middleton is a great player but will be due a pay day by then so nobody knows what will happen.

[Black_Dragon]

Win these next 3 at home and then maybe I'll start to believe that this team can do something in the playoffs.

Also, if that happens can we stop with the tanks? It's not happening this year with Midds back so I think we can put that to rest.