PG Memphis - 1-4

[Isocleas2]

This may be the lowest point the Bucks fan base has been since Giannis's rookie year. We've always had hope for the future during those early days, and even during the last few years when they were bounced from the playoffs we could blame injuries and bank on getting healthy the next season.

Atleast they have the new arena so we don't have to worry about them trying to move the team to a different city.

[Brewhoopfan]

We gotta get something back for Dame. Even if it’s 60 cents on the dollar for what we paid.

Time to cut our losses there.

Sad, but true. He's a 6'2" James Harden who is (can't believe this is possible) even worse defensively.

[emunney]

Say what you will about Ajax but it seems like every time he plays positive **** happens. Give him some run with the starters. Maybe even take Brook out of it. We need to shake up the continuity

All he had to do to get back in the rotation was <checks notes> crash his car into a building

[Brewhoopfan]

Read on Twitter

I mean...

We've only been talking about needing more youth and athleticism for three years. Our unwillingness to part with vets for "reasons" will inevitably and unsurprisingly do us in. I've always been in the "whatever makes Giannis happy" camp but if he's slapping "untradeable" tags on his personal favorites only to eventually ask for a trade himself we're completely f****ed. Glad I spent all my money on that title run. It was magical time.

Probably too much. .....Pay attention! Doc will try to say all the right things. "It's on me!" But if things continue to go south, his 'digs' at the players will become less subtle as he tries to save face. It's who he is.

[-Jragon-]

Gilbert Arenas said basically spam 2 man game all day.. he's reading my posts

[-Jragon-]

Our two best players make each other worse when they're on the floor together. I wouldn't have predicted it a year ago, but neither Dame or Giannis seem comfortable when the other has the ball. All of this is exacerbated by Khris being out and the terrible shooting, but it feels a lot like we're stuck in early Heatles mode.

KM adds to it the wrong way too because it's another man that doesn't thrive off ball.. we need guys that can get open, slash for lobs and hit catch and shoot.. all that comes from understanding and being willing to play and move off ball.

[-Jragon-]

neither Dame or Giannis seem comfortable when the other has the ball.

Offcourse.

What is Giannis going to do when Dame has the ball?
Set screens? He has no idea how to do that.
Wait at 3 point line if defense double team Dame? He cant shoot so opponents actually use his defender to help on Dame.
Go in paint without ball? He doesnt want to do that and even if he does he will just bring his defender to the paint.

What is Dame going to do when Giannis has the ball?
Act like spot up shooter if his defender help on Giannis? He is not that kind of shooter. He is Rythm shooter who shoot best after dribble.

Both guys need the ball in their hands to be what they are. They are just not good fit together. I said that year ago but whatever....

You're overcomplicating it. Go find what Gilbert Arenas said.. it's 2 man game: set a pick, give the ball back, post up, get the ball, give it back, screen.. did you ever play 2 on 2? It's like that.. get the other 3 scrubs to the opposite side.. if their guy leaves throw a lob or let them brick a 3... if our vet min guys are 0 for get the AJs in.

[Bernman]

2-man game between Dame & Giannis is exactly the opposite direction we need to go. It's doubling down on a problem. They're oil & water. This is why the Middleton return is so vital. He can separate them on the court. Also why it's foolish at this pt to call for Midds to be 6th man. The massive gulf in net ratings proved the need for Middleton as starter.

There's a championship team here, I just don't know if it's w/ Doc, & how long do we wait to bail on a failed experiment? It's been across 2 seasons now. He has a losing record in both. We're running out of time by digging a hole. We could make the play-in & then go on a run. But don't want to rely on that volatility.

I want to like Dame. He's a nice, thoughtful guy. But he's had a maddening career in Miltown. At some point he's got to show some pride in not putting up lines like this & regularly playing awful, lazy d. His dawg switch is very on/off. This is his last chance not to tarnish his legacy. He'll be viewed as a losing player. The murmurs are already starting.

[-Jragon-]

2-man game between Dame & Giannis is exactly the opposite direction we need to go. It's doubling down on a problem. They're oil & water. This is why the Middleton return is so vital. He can separate them on the court. Also why it's foolish at this pt to call for Midds to be 6th man. The massive gulf in net ratings proved the need for Middleton as starter.

There's a championship team here, I just don't know if it's w/ Doc, & how long do we wait to bail on a failed experiment? It's been across 2 seasons now. He has a losing record in both. We're running out of time by digging a hole. We could make the play-in & then go on a run. But don't want to rely on that volatility.

I want to like Dame. He's a nice, thoughtful guy. But he's had a maddening career in Miltown. At some point he's got to show some pride in not putting up lines like this & regularly playing awful, lazy d. His dawg switch is very on/off. This is his last chance not to tarnish his legacy. He'll be viewed as a losing player. The murmurs are already starting.

This is off base... it's tricky but it's been done.. needs a smart coach maybe to get started and work out the kinks... Luka/Kyrie, LeBon/Dame, Shaq/Kobe... do your homework.. those 2 are the biggest threats.. it's like if an intruder was in your house and pulled out a grenade, then a bazooka... your scrambling and scared then he puts those away and pulls out a butter knife.. that's what happens when we give the ball to Brook every possession .... no, Dame to Giannis to Dame etc.. keep working for better positions until you have a good shot.. teams LOVE when our scrubs have the ball

[TroyD92]

Maybe its time to look at Giannis as the issue.

[Bernman]

Maybe its time to look at Giannis as the issue.

He's one. All the Big 3 alternate as an issue.

- Giannis' gumming up spacing & initiation offensively, trying less on d & boards now
- Dame the lack of effort & size on d, not being able to play off the ball, being emo/inconsistent
- Khris w/ the regular season unavailability, defensive decline

Then of course the supporting core is slow, & modestly skilled.

So you just need a gm who can make the requisite trade(s) around the core & coach who can bring the best out of them.

[-Jragon-]

Also, I think it's hard for Dame to get in a rhythm on this team.. it seemed like it was like 5 min into the game b4 he even took a shot but Splash Landing had like 5 FGA by then.

Then if Dame ever does make a shot then I guarantee Giannis won't give him the ball back the next 3x down. We really need to let him unlock himself..

He took 17.5 shots per game last year compared to the 19.5 shots he was taking the last few years in Portland. The problem is not that he is not taking shots it's that he is not making them.

This is a decent post speaking mathematics but if you've played basketball before... this isn't how shooting really works, is it? Are you a shooter? How does shooting work? Dame Lillard has had tons of 50 point and 60 point games.. how is that possible? Here's how... that MF might not shoot for the 1st 5 minutes of the game but once he shoots... idc if he misses it or makes it.. he is Him.. get him the ball back and let him get another shot real quick.. now once he hits ONE keep feeding him til he misses -- like getting change or 'make it take it,
' at the playground.. that's how you get hot and on a streak... this is how guys like Dame, Steph, Luka, Kobe, etc get RED HOT.. and once they are hot then everyone else is going to be open off the attention he creates... the bench needs to react when he gets hot like Rucker Park.. someone take Giannis to Rucker Park ... this -- you shot now it's my turn is going to kill Dame.. get yours in those stretches that he's calculating the defense and passing off... after that feed him for awhile... same for GA actually if he's obliterating a D keep going to him until it doesn't work...

The problem now is that everytime I've seen Dame shoot a 3 then the next time down the court Brook fires off a yolo or Giannis decides to plow some dude over. Be a threat during that time but let Dame get the shots for stretches.. same for KM if he plays this year.. that's why I want to stagger him with the other 2-- so he can get his showtime slot too

[Sigra]

neither Dame or Giannis seem comfortable when the other has the ball.

Offcourse.

What is Giannis going to do when Dame has the ball?
Set screens? He has no idea how to do that.
Wait at 3 point line if defense double team Dame? He cant shoot so opponents actually use his defender to help on Dame.
Go in paint without ball? He doesnt want to do that and even if he does he will just bring his defender to the paint.

What is Dame going to do when Giannis has the ball?
Act like spot up shooter if his defender help on Giannis? He is not that kind of shooter. He is Rythm shooter who shoot best after dribble.

Both guys need the ball in their hands to be what they are. They are just not good fit together. I said that year ago but whatever....

You're overcomplicating it. Go find what Gilbert Arenas said.. it's 2 man game: set a pick, give the ball back, post up, get the ball, give it back, screen.. did you ever play 2 on 2? It's like that.. get the other 3 scrubs to the opposite side.. if their guy leaves throw a lob or let them brick a 3... if our vet min guys are 0 for get the AJs in.

I did play 2 on 2 (long time ago). But it is clearly too complicated for Giannis. He is "running back" of baskeball. Give him the ball and put other 4 players at 3 point line. Bud knew that.

[Bernman]

Small sample, but it's another indicator Doc's situational inflexibility is part of the problem:

Read on Twitter

He has a tendency to revert to vets/his guys. Assembling them together. Whereas Griff would play Ajax or even Marjon against Boston to match up w/ their wings. Play plenty of small ball. While Bud would bench Brook & Bobby when they didn't match-up.

I think just getting a smarter, more flexible coach, & moving Bobby while securing a more fleet of foot pf in that or another trade solves so much.

[-Jragon-]

Offcourse.

What is Giannis going to do when Dame has the ball?
Set screens? He has no idea how to do that.
Wait at 3 point line if defense double team Dame? He cant shoot so opponents actually use his defender to help on Dame.
Go in paint without ball? He doesnt want to do that and even if he does he will just bring his defender to the paint.

What is Dame going to do when Giannis has the ball?
Act like spot up shooter if his defender help on Giannis? He is not that kind of shooter. He is Rythm shooter who shoot best after dribble.

Both guys need the ball in their hands to be what they are. They are just not good fit together. I said that year ago but whatever....

You're overcomplicating it. Go find what Gilbert Arenas said.. it's 2 man game: set a pick, give the ball back, post up, get the ball, give it back, screen.. did you ever play 2 on 2? It's like that.. get the other 3 scrubs to the opposite side.. if their guy leaves throw a lob or let them brick a 3... if our vet min guys are 0 for get the AJs in.

I did play 2 on 2 (long time ago). But it is clearly too complicated for Giannis. He is "running back" of baskeball. Give him the ball and put other 4 players at 3 point line. Bud knew that.

It's less complex that then what Giannis is trying to do now because he's trying to include everyone all the time. Tell him to focus on getting the ball to Dame unless someone is running free to the hoop then lob it to them. Then tell him if Dame hits a 3 let him keep shooting more til he misses (unless someone is open for a dunk).

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

Offcourse.

What is Giannis going to do when Dame has the ball?
Set screens? He has no idea how to do that.
Wait at 3 point line if defense double team Dame? He cant shoot so opponents actually use his defender to help on Dame.
Go in paint without ball? He doesnt want to do that and even if he does he will just bring his defender to the paint.

What is Dame going to do when Giannis has the ball?
Act like spot up shooter if his defender help on Giannis? He is not that kind of shooter. He is Rythm shooter who shoot best after dribble.

Both guys need the ball in their hands to be what they are. They are just not good fit together. I said that year ago but whatever....

You're overcomplicating it. Go find what Gilbert Arenas said.. it's 2 man game: set a pick, give the ball back, post up, get the ball, give it back, screen.. did you ever play 2 on 2? It's like that.. get the other 3 scrubs to the opposite side.. if their guy leaves throw a lob or let them brick a 3... if our vet min guys are 0 for get the AJs in.

I did play 2 on 2 (long time ago). But it is clearly too complicated for Giannis. He is "running back" of baskeball. Give him the ball and put other 4 players at 3 point line. Bud knew that.

khris is the only guy that has ever been able to play with him decently. holiday was better than dame just because he never viewed himself as the primary option in the 2-2 game. i dont care how much dame is playing with giannis there is never going to be a moment when he isnt thinking hes the primary option and giannis will be thinking that too. neither are unselfish players. they both pass out of necessity. they pass when they have to....not when they should

[DingleJerry]

It's gonna be maddening when they trade Dame and he goes right back to looking like he did before he got here.

[randy84]

IDK. Giannis seems to be turning into Aaron Rodgers. He only wants to play with his buddies and only run the plays that he wants to run. Screw the coaches and everyone else.

[emunney]

To me, Giannis' only really significant weakness as a player is that he has a tendency to turn inward in adverse moments and put everything on himself. He's got to stay out of his head and talk to his teammates more, and not just in terms of like, being a jokester, trying to keep stuff light and fun, though there's room for that as well.

He's got to talk about what he's seeing. I can probably count on one hand the number of arguments I've seen him get in with a teammate. There should be conflict and resolution during those times. Not just stoicism and attempts to shoulder more and more burden. He's only shown marginal growth in that area since he came into the league. It's a big part of being a leader. It's why we always get a little bump when we bring in an over-communicator who otherwise doesn't bring a tremendous amount to the court (PJ, Ingles, Bev).

[Ron Swanson]

Read on Twitter

Like, just......why? And I'd imagine the numbers are even worse after his 5-14 performance last night. We're getting absolutely crushed in the math game because we're running a stone-age NBA offense in the year 2024, and guys are just allowed to freelance out there with no accountability. Please just get a real coach and supporting cast that makes sense around Dame/Giannis before we decide to burn it all to the ground.