Round 2, Game 2 - Bucks vs. Heat - 9/2- 5:30 CDT, 1:30 AM Athens, 8:30 AM Sydney - ESPN

[steger_3434]

Honestly, it really shouldn't matter if Bledsoe plays. Pat, DDV, George Hill, or whoever shouldn't be having a 34-year old Goran Dragic blow by them like he's prime Dwyane Wade. The best player on the floor needs to will this team to a win at all costs. Let's hope it's Giannis, and not Jimmy Butler this time.

Bledsoe's a year removed from a Defensive 1st team award. Even if he's not quite at that level now he's still the best perimeter guard defender we have. He's also, by far, our best at attacking the hoop outside of Giannis. Him being out is huge.

Agreed. Bledsoe is criminally underrated on this board. His d is severely missed plus hill is much better in a reserve role so having him out hurts hill as well.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[chonestown]

The NBA and Silver don't care about flopping or foul baiting.

Silver was on the Bucks broadcast when they opened Fiserv last year and made this clear. He was talking about the new freedom of movement rules and said fans don't want to see big guys who rely on strength and that the NBA wants to encourage skill based players, and refs will call the game accordingly.

It sucks, but playing the ref game is a big part of the league now. Been saying for awhile that getting a foul baiting guard or two is a big advantage.

Makes sense to prioritize super skilled, weak guys like Jae Crowder over boring plodders like Giannis.

With his ordinary dimensions and serviceable athleticism, Giannis may not inspire but his effectiveness still registers on the scoreboard if not the cable TV highlights.

[James1980]

Honestly, it really shouldn't matter if Bledsoe plays. Pat, DDV, George Hill, or whoever shouldn't be having a 34-year old Goran Dragic blow by them like he's prime Dwyane Wade. The best player on the floor needs to will this team to a win at all costs. Let's hope it's Giannis, and not Jimmy Butler this time.

Bledsoe's a year removed from a Defensive 1st team award. Even if he's not quite at that level now he's still the best perimeter guard defender we have. He's also, by far, our best at attacking the hoop outside of Giannis. Him being out is huge.

Agreed. Bledsoe is criminally underrated on this board. His d is severely missed plus hill is much better in a reserve role so having him out hurts hill as well.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

If he's out, would you start DDV and bring Hill off the bench?

[ReasonablySober]

Bledsoe's a year removed from a Defensive 1st team award. Even if he's not quite at that level now he's still the best perimeter guard defender we have. He's also, by far, our best at attacking the hoop outside of Giannis. Him being out is huge.

Agreed. Bledsoe is criminally underrated on this board. His d is severely missed plus hill is much better in a reserve role so having him out hurts hill as well.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

If he's out, would you start DDV and bring Hill off the bench?

I think so.

[steger_3434]

Bledsoe's a year removed from a Defensive 1st team award. Even if he's not quite at that level now he's still the best perimeter guard defender we have. He's also, by far, our best at attacking the hoop outside of Giannis. Him being out is huge.

Agreed. Bledsoe is criminally underrated on this board. His d is severely missed plus hill is much better in a reserve role so having him out hurts hill as well.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

If he's out, would you start DDV and bring Hill off the bench?

Ddv has been trash, but I would. Hill is so much better being that calming second rotation player


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[MickeyDavis]

Agreed, Hill gives a boost to the second unit.

[Serge28]

I think we'll win today. Need Matthews/Giannis on Butler at all times. Also need "others" to step up. Besides Lopez, Middleton, and Giannis, only Korver was in double figures. And you know Brook isn't going 8-10 from the field and 4-6 from 3 again.

[SupremeHustle]

Korver was hilarious last game. Dude was gunnin.

[ibanezjp]

Korver was hilarious last game. Dude was gunnin.

It really felt like the game plan on offense was built around him. Very strange. It was like Giannis was deferring to him.

[raysbookclub]

If Shaq had to play under the Giannis rules, I'm not sure he ever gets a pizza named after him.

Watch on YouTube

Sigh, should have been us in those Finals. Ervin Johnson and Joel Pryzbilla would have evaded those elbows!

[emunney]

The NBA and Silver don't care about flopping or foul baiting.

Silver was on the Bucks broadcast when they opened Fiserv last year and made this clear. He was talking about the new freedom of movement rules and said fans don't want to see big guys who rely on strength and that the NBA wants to encourage skill based players, and refs will call the game accordingly.

It sucks, but playing the ref game is a big part of the league now. Been saying for awhile that getting a foul baiting guard or two is a big advantage.

Makes sense to prioritize super skilled, weak guys like Jae Crowder over boring plodders like Giannis.

With his ordinary dimensions and serviceable athleticism, Giannis may not inspire but his effectiveness still registers on the scoreboard if not the cable TV highlights.

High quality play in spite of low marketability is what has led influencers to give him the monikers "Basketball Forest Whitaker" or the difficult to place "The Chris Cooper of Hoopers"

[emunney]

Agreed. Bledsoe is criminally underrated on this board. His d is severely missed plus hill is much better in a reserve role so having him out hurts hill as well.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

If he's out, would you start DDV and bring Hill off the bench?

I think so.

If just one of those two guys would return to form it'd turn everything around. Our guard play in the restart has been so poor.

[Ayt]

L. The team hasn't looked right since they started the season back up.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

placed my first bet on Bovada. Let's go bucks

[MissKhriddleton]

Line is up to -6? How does that make any sense? It doesn't, which means I'm going to take it.

[ReasonablySober]

placed my first bet on Bovada. Let's go bucks

Same. I'm hedging my happiness. Placed a bet to win on Miami.

[FlagsFlyForever]

Line is up to -6? How does that make any sense? It doesn't, which means I'm going to take it.

People are expecting Bledsoe to play. Bud said he is hopeful Bledsoe will be available today.

[blazza18]

Bucks by 12, the fourth quarter is mostly inconsequential, Giannis with 35, Midds with an efficient 22, Toronto fans still remind us we're in "major trouble" despite their being down 0-2.

Bucks dream scenario

[MickeyDavis]

Read on Twitter

[th87]

Read on Twitter

Great article. What most people here have suspected is true, the NBA essentially doesn't fine for flops anymore. All opposing teams know this and they're number one strategy for slowing down Giannis is to flop and get the charge call. This results in Giannis settling for more jumpers or fouling him out of the game.

And non-Bucks fans think Giannis gets a good whistle...

Even if they were still fining players, I don't think there's any evidence that it deterred people from flopping at all. I don't really have any hope that things will ever change; this will likely be an issue for Giannis his entire career until he isn't athletic enough to play the way he currently does anymore/isn't as reliant on getting to the rim.

The only way I can really see this strategy going away is if the league starts suspending players for flopping. Even technical fouls won't do unless they make potential flops reviewable without a coach's challenge.

This disappears the minute he signs elsewhere.